Debt to Society
by Shadow Hand Zealot
Summary: Gambit botches a job, resulting in him getting forced to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. and placed in the custody of Xavier. He's closer to Rogue, at least. But how close will she let him get? And what does Fury have in store for Gambit? Rated T for later. ROMY
1. D'accord

I do not own X-Men: Evolution

A/N: I sort of just came up with this over the course of an hour. This is my first story dedicated primarily to ROMY. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 1: D'accord

Remy wasn't really certain were he was. He woke up in a chair, lying on a metal table, and with a splitting headache. He reached up with his right hand to rub his temple, but felt an uncomfortable jerk tug his wrist. His eyes shot down toward his hand seeing the handcuff immediately. Some one had caught him.

The throbbing in Remy's head was more blatant than when he had just woken up. He was more aware now, given his circumstances. His senses were firing off information to his head trying to figure out where exactly he was. His dark eyes darted around the room, noting it was dimly lit. The only light was a single bulb hanging from the ceiling over the table. It was an interrogation room.

The events that had lead up to him landing here were a blur to Remy. He slowly remembered. He had been in a high-security building on an independent job. Using his old contacts, Remy had learned of a small cache of diamonds that would be in Los Angeles for a brief period of time. It was a risky job, but the payout was bigger than any Remy ever had. He managed to trace the cache to a high-security building in the downtown area. He had only a week to acquire them before they would be moved again. The job became even more appealing when it turned out that the building was a Diamond Depository. The security was tight enough to a point that it could shame the secret service; the building had plenty of guards, motion detectors, laser grids, thermal sensors, cameras, and retinal and fingerprint scanners. Most thieves would look at this job and turn it down upon hearing the word "Diamonds", but Remy wasn't most thieves.

He had planned the job down to the second. Enter through the loading bay, take the service passages to below the vault, cut the power to the back up generator then cut the power itself, enter the vault from below, empty as many of the deposit boxes as he could in five minutes, and exit the way he came. It was the route with the least security and quickest in and out. Everything had gone to plan until he was on his way out. When he was going back through the door linking the service passages to the loading bay, he heard a clicking noise as he opened the door, followed by the sound of a gas valve releasing. A caustic fume vented into the doorway and Remy had breathed it in before he knew what was happening. The next thing he remembered was waking up lying on a cold, metallic table with his hand cuffed on one side of it.

Remy heard the sound of a page turning behind him, causing him to jerk his head around. There was someone veiled by the shadows of the room looking through a thick file. As Remy's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he began to make out the man's features. He was middle-aged, had a full head of crew cut hair which was grey. He noticed Gambit was staring at him exchanged a stare of his own. Remy got a good look at his face, noticing immediately that the man's left eye was covered by a patch. Remy knew immediately who it was.

"Monsieur Fury," Remy uttered the man's name. Nick Fury did not acknowledge Remy's greeting with a response. He only continued to flip through the thick file in his hands.

"167 counts of theft, 145 counts of breaking and entering, 263 counts of vandalism. The subject's skill as a master thief suggests that these counts are inaccurate; it is likely that the subject has countless other similar charges, and others, that will go undiscovered," Fury read aloud, "Subject is very skilled in hand-to-hand combat, combat involving a staff, is very agile and persuasive. For full description and explanation of powers see Form X-7. Approach with caution. "

Remy was silent as his rap sheet was read aloud. He was shocked that their numbers were that low. They had no real idea how good he was.

"Well that sure is hell of a rap sheet for someone who isn't even twenty," Fury mused, "I took the liberty of adding your most recent heist to the career record. Don't think the guild is going to be too happy you botched their one opportunity to get all these diamonds in a fell swoop. Sure, you can tell them you tried, but you still take one up the ass anyway you cut it. Game's up, son. I caught you and now I'm stuck trying to figure out what I should do with you."

"Gambit ain't part of da guild no mo'," Remy clarified. He met Fury's gaze, watching the authority carefully. He was not scared of the Shield agent, or the threats that remained cloaked in that speech. Fury lit a cigarette for himself and placed one on the table in front of Remy.

_Damn, he's smart,_ he thought to himself. Fury was not stupid enough to hand something to Remy. He already lost an eye, and he wasn't about to let himself lose a hand.

Remy took the cig in his mouth, "D' ya have a light, homme?"

Fury grinned, flicking his zippo lighter open and barely touching its flame to Remy's cig. He was taking every precaution necessary to prevent his prisoner from acting out. He sat down across from Remy, dropping the folder to the table with a thud.

"All that right there is all I need to put you away for life," Fury warned, "I'll tell you one thing, I could get it so you have to serve the time with all of these consecutively. You'd be dead before you see any chance of parole."

"What do ya want avec moi (with me)? Une confession?" Remy asked.

"Cut through the bullshit, Mr. Lebeau," Fury growled, "I don't need a confession to toss your ass in the slammer. That little stunt you did earlier tonight is enough to put you away for a good stint upstate. That French accent of yours would make you a nice bitch for some hairy-assed bad boy in the joint."

Remy was getting frustrated with Fury's jabs at his heritage. He was not short of reaching across the table and charging the man's shirt, but murder was one charge he did not need right now.

"Den tell moi whah Remy's here. Ye'd jus' have thrown moi in a cell if ya didn' need a confession," Remy said. This wasn't the first time Remy was in an interrogation room. Fury took a long drag from his cig and blew a large cloud of smoke.

"There's only one reason why I haven't handed your ass over to some three letter agency, Mr. Lebeau," Fury began, he leaned forward to emphasize his words, "A man in my position is expected to do a lot. I'm supposed to protect the American people in a way designated by the brass. I do my job by the book, and the brass still gets on my ass about not getting results.

Remy sighed at the man's inevitable monologue. Fury did not bother with the thief's response.

"In order to get desired results, sometimes I have to bend the rules, even break them. I'm the type of guy not afraid of getting his hands dirty to get the job done. The higher-ups get their results, and they don't hear about my methods.

"You're a talented individual who just happened to get his hand stuck in the cookie jar," Fury droned on, but Remy still listened, "I don't see the point in letting those talents rot in a dark cell in the middle of some desert, nor do I see the point in wasting precious tax payer's dollars on keeping you alive in that cell. I can use people like you to get things done."

"So, ya wan' Gambit to become a Shield agent," Remy laughed at the proposal. Fury was not in a joking mood, prompting Remy to cease his laughter fast.

"You have any idea how bad that would look? Besides, there'd be too much red tape to deal with," Fury corrected, "I'm going to give you a one-time offer, Mr. Lebeau. It's off the table once I leave this room. I don't want you to become an agent, but I do want to make some use out of you.

The way Fury said that last sentence did not sit well with Remy. He was being black-mailed.

"A person with your skills is more useful as an unofficial asset. There are some things I need done that S.H.I.E.L.D. can't be associated with," Fury explained, "I can't be too specific with you right now, but all you need to know is that I'm handing you a get-out-of-jail-free card?"

Remy nodded, still taking drags from his cig, "Ya bluffin', homme. Nothin's free in dis world. What's ya price?"

"I'm going to call in favors from you every now and then," Fury began, "In exchange for doing these favors you get to stay out of prison. If you're a good boy long enough, this thick folder disappears for good, you'll be free, and you won't have to do any more favors."

"How many favors are ya talkin'?" Remy asked. He did not like the sound of this part of the deal.

"As many as I feel necessary," Fury said coolly.

"What? How is dis fair, huh?" Remy pouted.

"I'm a fair man, Mr. Lebeau. I don't plan on holding this over your head forever, nor do I want to. But you need to think; this is your only ticket out of life in prison. If you don't take this offer, I'll find someone who will," Fury threatened with his tone still brisk, "You do these favors, you get your life back."

Remy let his head drop. He was in deep now. Remy knew he did not have too many options right then, prison being the least appealing. Even so, he loathed the thought of being some man's puppet for however long he saw fit. He sighed deeply, defeated.

"Fahne, Monsieur Fury. We have un accord," Remy submitted, "What do ya wan' from Gambit?"

"Nothing yet, you'll hear from me when I have something," Fury said. Remy felt relieved, but only a little.

"So Gambit can leave?" Remy asked putting his cig out on the metal table.

"Yeah, but you're going somewhere I can find you easily. You're going to stay with someone who will keep an eye on you," Remy felt a sinking feeling at those words, he did not like where this was going, "I contacted Charles Xavier. You're going to be staying at his school, under his custody. That's part of the agreement, comprendre (understood)?"

"Oui," Remy replied coldly.

"Good. He'll be here in an hour to collect you," Fury said, he uncuffed Remy form the table before adding, "You try to run before our deal is up, and I'll send you packing once I get my hands on you. And trust me, I will find you."

"D'accord," Remy replied rubbing his wrist tenderly. They always snapped the cuffs on tighter than necessary. He left the interrogation room with Fury and collected his belongings. Fury led him out of the building they were in to a limo parked down the street. Remy reflected on the last couple minutes. It was not an ideal situation, but it could be worse. Perhaps living at the institute would not be so bad. Remy would be able to see his Chère more often. That would make his situation a little more bearable. The thought of Rogue managed to rustle a smile out of Remy.

Fury grabbed Remy's arm before he let him get into the limo and handed him a cell phone.

"I'll contact you on this phone, service is on the government's tab," Fury explained. Remy pocketed the phone immediately, "See? You get some benefits."

"Merci," Remy said unenthusiastically. Fury was gone after that, leaving Remy alone in the street with a limo. He opened the door and climbed inside to come across a familiar face.

"Hello, Remy," greeted Professor Charles Xavier.

* * *

A/N: Hope you liked it. I heard in the comics Fury plays dirty when he needs to. So, Remy's gone and got himself in trouble again. How are the rest of the X-Men going to respond to Remy's arrival? How will Rogue in particular react?


	2. Three Short of a Royal Flush

I do not own X-Men: Evolution

**A/N: There will be some language in the story. I'm still trying to figure out Remy's accent so please bear with me. More specifically I'm still trying to figure out how write how Remy would say "Here." **

**So FYI, during Remy's dialogue he' = here**

**If you have any suggestions on how I can better portray Remy's accent, please feel free to let me know **

Chapter 2: Three Short of a Royal Flush

"Bon jour, professeur," Remy greeted nervously. He was not expecting to have to be so close to a telepath so soon, and for a period as long as a trip to Bayville. On top of that, Remy was at a loss as to what else he was supposed to say.

"I hope Fury didn't treat you too poorly," Xavier tried to read his fellow passenger. Tense was a gentle way of putting the way Remy appeared.

"Of course not, we're amis," Remy snorted sarcastically. He pulled his deck of cards out and started cutting the deck in one of his hands. It relieved some of the tension gripping his muscles, "I take it he explained our little accord."

Xavier intertwined his fingers and nodded, "To a certain extent. He was scarce on the details."

"Avec, ya know mo' den he told ya," Remy pointing to his head, knowing the nature of telepaths. Xavier nodded.

"Just enough to be certain his activities wouldn't endanger anyone at the institute," Xavier clarified, "Now that we're on the subject, while you are living at the institute you need to be aware of some rules."

Remy groaned, "He' we go…" This triggered a glare from Xavier.

"You got yourself into this ditch, Remy. You are going to have to accept the consequences of your actions, good or bad," Xavier scolded, "Now some basic rules. Firstly, I don't doubt Fury is going to have you doing some things of questionable legality. When you are not working for Fury, you are forbidden from engaging in illegal activities. Trust me there are plenty at the institute who will be able to tell if you have. Understood?"

"What activities would dat include, professeur?" Remy asked, again another glare, "Okay, stupid question."

Remy was on thin ice as it was. He decided it would be better if he didn't push anyone's limits right now. He listened attentively as Xavier listed out the over-arching rules of the institute. They covered rules on drinking, conduct, rules concerning the opposite sex (which Remy saw coming from a mile away). He could kiss the majority of his old life good-bye, at least for as long as he was under Nick Fury's thumb. In the long run it was, without argument, much better than the alternative that awaited him in a state penitentiary. That would be the worst place for someone like Remy. The events of his life and his disposition would make him a target as soon as he entered the system. For one, he'd be a target for being a mutant. Next to that, he had made plenty of enemies over the years and prison was a killing ground for a man with enemies. At that thought, Remy considered all Xavier's rules a small price to pay.

"I'll try to behave," Remy said mischievously, under the composure he displayed he was praying to God that he could. He unrolled his window, pulled out a personally rolled cigarette and lit it with a zippo lighter. He took a drag and blew the smoke out of the window, feeling some relief from the tension. He was glad that Xavier didn't mention any rules about smoking.

"You smoke?" Xavier grimaced and wrinkled his nose.

_Damn it, he' it comes,_ Remy thought to himself. The tone in Xavier's voice was a tell-tale to the fullest.

"Mmmm, Oui," Remy answered, taking another long drag and blew smoke out his nose, "Don't tell moi dat dere are rules about smokin' too."

Xavier knew he had his hopes up when thinking that Logan would be the only one that would ever smoke at the school. He couldn't tell Remy that no smoking was allowed, and he couldn't tell Logan he had to stop to make things fair.

"Any chance you could try quitting?" Xavier asked. Remy let out a whistle of relief. That was not no.

"Non, I gotta be able to enjoy one of my vices if _non_ other. It'd take a lot of convincin' to get me to agree to somet'in' like dat," Remy answered, "No hahm in jus' a couple a day."

"Well, you're not the only smoker that will be living at the institute," Xavier said rolling his own window down, "But even he follows some rules."

_Merde,_ Remy took another drag trying not to get too worked up, "What kahnd of rules, professeur?"

"You can only smoke outdoors," Xavier said. Remy could live with that. Xavier was a little uneasy about having another resident smoker. Logan was bad enough and the students were too repulsed to even consider starting up a habit because of him. If they saw a younger man, like Remy, smoking then it could possibly influence their choices on the matter later. As much as he hated lying, Xavier had to for the sake of the rest of the students. He could hear the angry phone calls he'd get if any of their parents discovered their child started smoking while away at the institute. "And you're limited to one a day. Two if you absolutely must."

_Merde de plus en plus (more and more), _Remy sighed, but it was better than nothing. He could limit himself to one a day if he needed to. It was not like he had an addiction. He made his own so he didn't have to deal with the nicotine. He even included a filter and all, which was the tough part of keeping his smokes stocked. On the bright side, if he was only doing one a day, he wouldn't blow through them as fast.

The new limitations on the smoking took his joy out of the one he had. He charged it and tossed it out the window, hearing a satisfying POP well behind the limo. He continued fiddling with his deck of cards to pass the time. He ceased flipping when he came across his lucky lady, the queen of hearts. He was wondering right then if it was really as lucky as it had been before, on so many occasions. He had to kiss most of his old life good-bye that night, and even his simple pleasure of cigs had been cut back because of "rules." On the other hand, he supposed the queen had not lost her touch since he wasn't on his way to prison. He pressed the smooth, sleek card to his lips with reawakened fidelity to the card. Xavier gave him a strange look but only received a smile from Remy. Xavier disregarded it as one of his weird mannerisms.

The card remained between Remy's middle and fore finger for awhile. He thought back on the wealth of memories he had thanks to this card. The fun, the exhilaration, and euphoria of cheating fate so many times brought him to his most beloved memory of this card. Oddly, it didn't involve blowing it up. All he did was slip it into the hands of a girl whose image electrified his dreams and occupied his thoughts whenever another woman crossed his threshold. He chuckled at the fact that Rogue had been his lucky lady that night on multiple occasions.

While his life was taking a sudden turn, Remy took some comfort in that he would be able to see Rogue after so long. It had been six months since their little adventure in the beloved _N'Awlins_ Remy was not foreign to knowing sometimes less than ideal situations could bear unexpected fruit. He now had a legitimate reason for being near Rogue. There had been countless times he had fancied the idea of coming to the institute just to see such beauté, his chéri. Some force beyond Remy's own comprehension held him back. He was uncertain of how well-received his presence would be if he just showed up some random day. The last thing Remy wanted was to be seen as a creep in the eyes of the woman who understood him more than anyone he knew.

The two mutants reached LAX and went directly to the tarmac, where the black bird had landed. Remy heard the limo's truck pop open when they reached the private hangar that housed the black bird. Great, was he going to have to be Xavier's bag boy? He exited the limo and approached the trunk to find two tightly packed duffel bags.

"Fury had some of his agents pack all your clothes while you were in his custody. And he had the courtesy to transport your bike to the mansion," Xavier explained, he had picked up on Remy's worries. Remy was glad that they weren't Xavier's bags, but that was the last thing that was bothering him right then. Instinctively, Remy knew that Fury probably had anything but courtesy on his mind when he had S.H.I.E.L.D. pack all of Remy's clothes. Same with his bike.

"De man wasn' lyin' about de benefits," Remy said sarcastically. He slung one bag around his back and carried the other in one of his hands. The loading ramp lowered from the jet's portside and a man in dark blue uniform, with yellow stripes on the shoulders and sides waiting at the top. He recognized the rugged man as Logan, a.k.a. Wolverine. Remy knew he was on the man's shit list for a couple reasons. _Dis flight's goin' to be fun, _he groaned made his way up the ramp and past Logan. He was shocked and amazed that Logan had not uttered a word to him, given their particular standing with each other. Logan did not even snarl or growl at him. Even so, Remy could tell that the man's opinion of him had not changed.

Logan helped Xavier on to the black bird and took one of the pilot seats. As soon as the loading ramp to the black bird closed and the engines fired up, Remy felt part of his stomach lurch. He loved flying, but not when the pilot hates you.

"Better buckle up, bub," Logan said with a slight grin, he turned to see that Remy was noticeably uncomfortable with him flying. Logan got his dose of sadistic pleasure. This _was_ going to be a fun flight, "Chuke bags are under the seat."

Xavier could only shake his head in slight sympathy for Remy. He knew full well that Logan would not be satisfied until Remy hurled the contents of his stomach into one of the small bags resting anxiously in the Cajun's hand. Logan always had to mess with new arrivals in a manner that screamed alpha-male complex. Though this particular case seemed like payback.

_Poor boy, _Xavier resigned himself to passivity in anticipation of Logan's antics, knowing it was now or later for Remy.

--

Three and a half hours and two rancid air sick bags later, they arrived back at the institute. Remy rubbed his stomach, glad the flight was over. He stood unsteadily shooting a sordid glare at Logan, who was mildly satisfied with the young mutant's discomfort.

Logan paused next to Remy as he left the X-Jet, "That was for kidnappin' Rogue, Gumbo."

"Merci, we even now?" Remy groaned. He stood unsteadily, rubbing his stomach.

"Maybe," Logan grunted and left Remy without another word.

_You'll have to forgive Logan, he is very protective of his students. Especially Rogue,_ Remy heard a voice in his head say. His eyes darted around for a couple seconds until he realized it was Xavier's voice. He relaxed a little; Remy was not sure he could take going nuts on top of everything else that had happened to him with in the last 24 hours.

Upon exiting the X-Jet, Remy was marveled by the sight of the hangar and the rest of the underground of the Institute. He had only seen the outside of the mansion and Rogue's room (from when he was watching her prior to kidnapping her). The stark contrast was immense and far from what Remy expected. The only time he had seen a place with a similar look was Magneto's warehouse. However, the high-tech interior of the ware house would not strike a person as surprising in comparison to having an underground base such as this.

"Hey! Cajun! Up front where I can see you!" Logan called from the other end of the hangar. Remy did not realize that the sight had distracted him as long as it did. He quickly slung his bags over his shoulder and raced over to the hangar exit. Logan snorted out of impatience and led Remy up to the mansion. Xavier had to leave to attend to some work in Cerebro, leaving a nervous Remy in the company of the one of the few men who had come close to stabbing him. Not the first person Remy wanted to be left alone with, even though he knew full well that would likely not happen. He had to keep reminding himself that it was either be there with someone who wanted to stab him or be in the prison yard with someone who wanted to stab him.

They reached the actual mansion and went to one of the spare bedrooms. The one that Remy was given was bigger than the one he had living at his foster father's villa. It even had a balcony with classical French doors. He had more space then he knew what he would do with. He set his bags down next to the dresser and looked the room up and down more. _This_ was a true benefit.

"Some of the kids are in a training sim with Storm and Beast, you'll get to meet everyone after they get done in the Danger Room," Logan said.

"Danger Room?" Remy asked, perplexed. It did not sound like the best name for a training room.

"You'll get nice and cozy with it when you're training starts," Logan wanted to leave the poor Remy in suspense. He looked forward to the bayou boy's first training session with immense delight. However, Remy was more confused about the part where he would have to train. Fury did not mention that in their agreement.

"I don' know what the professeur told ya, but I'm jus' he' so Fury can fahnd moi easily," Remy argued. This deal was becoming less and less appealing by the hour, _Come on, Remy. Jus' remember it's he' o' prison._

Logan was on Remy in an instant. He snarled and got right up to Remy's face.

"You don't like it, bub? Talk to the professor about it. So, until he says no, your ass is going to be training, capiche?" Logan growled, Remy did not cower or back down. He had taken enough slop as it was and getting really tired, really fast, of being treated like Logan's _chienne_.

"You may wanna back off, mon ami. Someone could get hurt," Remy twitched his wrist causing a card he had hidden in his sleeve to drop into his hand, "If we have a problem, den let's get it out on de table, shall we?"

Logan, despite his frustrated misgivings about Remy, had to respect that the young man had a backbone. He would never actually admit it, but having some resistance did some good. It was rather refreshing having a resident aside from the mature adults who stood up to him. Truth be told, he did have a problem with Remy and was very tempted to get the problem out on the table. But a trip to the medical wing was not Xavier would want. A patient hunter always gets its prey, so Logan would just have to keep an eye on Remy and be ready if the bayou boy did anything stupid.

"Ain't no problem unless you want there to be," Logan began, his tone calmer, "You got balls, Gumbo, I'll give you that. But while you live here, I will be one of the people you take orders from whether we both like it or not. Keep your head on straight, I'll keep the claws in, and we'll be fine."

"Fair enough," Remy smiled defiantly and continued to stare Logan down. While this was not getting him off of Logan's shit list, but it sure felt good. Logan growled and began to mutter incoherently as he walked away.

"Oh, your first order: be down on the foyer in a half-hour. Introductions will happen there. That too much for ya to handle, Cajun?" Logan asked briskly.

"S'il vous plaît (please)," Remy scoffed, "A chimp could do dat, mon ami."

"Yeah, but you'll do fine," Logan could not be blamed for making the remark. Remy had practically painted a target on his forehead, making him feel worse.

Finally alone in his room, Remy sat on the naked bed and sighed, still telling himself that this was still a hell of a lot better than prison. It was a change of lifestyle for sure, but he would get used to it. He took his trench coat off and tossed it on a chair across the room. He thought about changing out of his jumpsuit into something a little more casual, but he remembered that S.H.I.E.L.D. had packed his bags. He decided to deal with that later later.

The room Remy was given yearned to be explored. His closet was reasonably sized with room to spare, his bed was queen size, he had a desk, and a nightstand. It was nicer than some of the hotels he had stayed throughout his career. He moved out to check the view he had from the balcony.

This was probably the best feature of his room. He had a nice view of the mansion courtyard, front gate, and woods. After orienting himself to where he was in relation to the other parts of the mansion he had seen prior to living here, he realized that Rogue's room was on the opposite side of the mansion. Remy allowed himself a laugh. Xavier was not lying when he said Logan was very protective of her. Of course, Remy had kidnapped her and he had put her in a couple dangerous situations…well one dangerous situation. She voluntarily went into the others.

Seeing as he had a half-hour to kill, Remy decided to go surprise Rogue with his arrival, if she did not know he was there already. He left his room and made his way across the mansion, carefully gliding through the corridors to keep his element of surprise uncompromised. When he finally reached Rogue's room he knocked on her door lightly. There was no response. He pressed his ear to the crack of the door and listened carefully. It was still early in the morning during the weekend, so perhaps she was sleeping. Remy did not hear any breathing or stirring and figured she must have been one of the mutants doing a training simulation. No matter, he could still have a little fun with this.

--

The locker rooms outside of the Danger Room were about as advanced as a locker room could get. Like the rest of this part of the mansion, everything was bluish-silver or metallic grey. The only sounds were the low hum of the entire big machine that was the underground installation, and a couple shower heads running.

Peeking out to see if anyone was in the locker area was Rogue. She reached her arm out from her shower stall and grabbed her towel, draping herself in it as soon as she could. Out of all the women at the mansion, she took the quickest showers. This was in part to her insecurities with her body, her powers, and other people in general. Her eyes keenly shot around the visible area as she peeked outside her shower stall one more time to see if the coast was clear. When she was certain it was, she made her way to the changing area.

After retrieving her civilian clothes from her personal locker, Rogue quickly dried herself body off, and did the best she could with her hair. It was still damp by the end, but there was not much she could do about that. She wanted to finish dressing and be out of the locker room before everyone else got done with their showers. She threw on a pair of black skinny jeans, a grey hoodie, and a pair of gloves. She took no more time than necessary with doing up her hair and made her way back up to the mansion.

On her way back to her room, Rogue passed by Xavier's study. Logan and he were arguing again. It seemed like Logan was the only one who ever managed to get away with the heated arguments. Rogue pressed her ear to the door and caught a small fraction of their argument.

"Listen Chuck, I know that bastard. He doesn't ask a favor unless there's something particularly nasty coming," Logan grumbled, he paused for a couple seconds, "I take it you read his mind."

"It was a necessary precaution. We don't have anything to worry about yet," Xavier answered, "I wouldn't have agreed if the terms did not keep us in the clear."

Logan grumbled, "You should have spoken me before agreeing with Fury, let alone speaking with him. The man's as slippery as they come."

"Do you trust me Logan?" Xavier asked. Logan groaned.

"You really have to ask that?" there was silence and another sigh, "Yeah, Chuck, I trust ya. I just don't trust him."

"You're talking about Fury?" Xavier asked.

"Him too," Logan grunted. The sound of footsteps coming toward the door caused Rogue to continue on to her room. She was curious as to who Logan and the professor were referring to, but not enough to get caught eavesdropping. She scampered away and disappeared behind the corner of the hallway before Logan was even out of the room.

Before too long, she arrived back at her room. It was just her room now. Kitty had received her own room not to long after the Apocalypse incident and Rogue was finally allowed more privacy. While it was nice having more space to her self, Rogue did miss having her around as often. She even missed Kitty's near-constant light-heartedness that would ripple for hours on end. She was one of her first real friends since the first day Rogue had come to the institute. Kitty moving out of her room gave Rogue a taste of the old saying "you don't know what you have 'til it's gone." On that note, it forced Rogue to actually get out and spend time with those she called friends.

As Rogue opened her door a small object fell from being held inside of the crack of the door. It was a playing card, face down. She retrieved the card and saw it was the King of Hearts.

"What in Sam Hill?" Rogue gawked at the card and immediately began to connect the dots. But before she could come to a concrete conclusion on who had left her the card, a pair of gloved hands covered her eyes.

"Gue- Whoa!" Rogue dropped the card, reflexively dropped her knees, gripped an arm, and threw her weight forward. The move successfully catapulted the stranger over her body and onto her bed. The strength of this feat surprised Rogue. She did not spend much time admiring the throw for she was more concerned with who she just threw. The lights were off, and the sun had barely risen, so Rogue only saw a dimly lit figure lying on her bed.

"Je suis désolé (I'm sorry), mon chéri," a familiar voice groaned and laughed. It became very suggestive in seconds, "I almost fo'got ya like to play rough."

Rogue's eyes parted like the Red Sea upon putting a name to the voice, "Remy?"

She flipped on the lights to see Remy sprawled out on her bed, with his head hanging over the bedside, directly facing her. Remy smiled pathetically, still in partial shock that Rogue had tossed him like a feather. Rogue dashed over to him to see if he was okay.

"Oh God, Remy," Rogue said regretfully. She lifted his head and helped him up so he was sitting upright, "Are ya alright? Ah had no ahdea you were-"

Remy offered her a sanguine smile, captivating her, "Don' worry, Rogue. I'm fine. You'd have to hit me hahder den dat to hurt dis Cajun."

The smile Rogue returned began to melt Remy inside out. He had to be about the last person she expected to show up at the institute. Her mind was racing a million miles a minute, wondering when he had arrived, where he had been, why he had come… so many questions and no definitive starting point. Her smile faded and she started with one that would wipe the smile of that Cajun's face. Remy saw the smile fade and got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

_Ay merde._

Rogue's fist plowed into Remy's shoulder, sending a sharp pain up and down his right arm. She did hit harder and Remy yelped accordingly, "That's for startlin' meh! Where do you get off sneakin' up on meh lahk that, Remy? Ugh!"

The last time he had done that she ended up waking up on a train bound for Louisiana. She shoved him lightly and stood up. Remy rubbed his shoulder tenderly. She really hit hard. The smile on Rogue's face was gone and she looked pissed. It was kind of sexy in Remy's opinion. The display she put on came off as wild and true to their southern roots. Although, he still preferred her smile.

"I jus' wanted to su'prise ya, Rogue. Dat's all," Remy sincerely answered her question as his smile crept back over his face, "Don' tell me you didn' miss dis Cajun. I know you've been t'inking about moi."

"Ugh…dream on, Swamp Rat," Rogue muttered. That was not a no, so her answer must have been hiding a yes. Remy shuffled off her bed and approached her cautiously. The jeune fille was still as feisty as she was when they parted ways, and she had proven she could toss him around like a toy if she wanted.

The truth was Remy had been on Rogue's thoughts periodically, but not as often as Remy would give himself credit for. Even so, he was on her mind and at that moment all the times Rogue had thought of him came rushing back.

"Dis any way to treat an old friend, Rogue?" Remy asked keeping his tone playful to dull the hostilities, "Not'in' so much as a hello from your lips. Dat hurts right here."

Remy crossed his heart as he drew closer to Rogue. She recoiled a little, "Remy, Ah'm warnin' ya…"

The Cajun chuckled as he continued to draw closer, "No need for dat, Rogue. I already know what you'd do."

"Remy!" Rogue snapped at him.

"Alright, alright," Remy ceased his advance. If he had not learned how to hide his emotions during card games, Rogue would have seen her tone had startled him a bit. Like he had judged with everyone else, Remy thought it best not to push certain boundaries this early into his stay. His playfulness often would get the better of him, much to the discomfort of others. Making Rogue uncomfortable was not his aim, "All I wanted to do was say hi, and dat I'll be stayin' he' for awhile."

Rogue looked cautiously into his red eyes, trying to discern fact from fiction in his words. He was a tough one to read, but that was his nature. He was gambler, thief, and scoundrel. But he had proven he had a good heart. The fact that he was apparently staying at the institute told her that he wasn't out to burn bridges. She knew Remy was smarter than that.

"Well, hi… I guess," she finally responded. Whether or not his sticking around for awhile was good or bad thing, Rogue had not the slightest answer.

"Is it goin' to be dis hahd to say hello all de time," Remy asked mischievously. Rogue did not indulge him with an answerShe wanted to ask him a lot, but the questions were going to have to wait.

"Hey, Stripes!" Logan's voice echoed from down the hall. Both Remy and Rogue's eyes shot to her door. This was the last place Logan needed to find Remy. Rogue and he began to panic. Remy needed to hide and neither of them could waste time trying to make it out of the room in time; Logan would spot Remy making an escape even if he went out the balcony. Rogue looked around her room quickly and hastily decided on the closet.

She pushed Remy backward toward her closet, "Chéri?"

"Don't ask questions! Just get in there, keep quiet, and don't touch anything!" Rogue hissed giving Remy one last forceful shove into her closet. She slammed the closet door shut before Remy could get another word out. He held his tongue, knowing that if he made any sound at that point it would not be pretty.

Logan entered Rogue's doorway just as she was stepping away from her closet, "Rogue, got a new student that arrived this morning. Introductions are in ten, okay?"

Rogue looked flustered despite her attempts to cover it up. She hoped to God that Logan wouldn't smell Remy or notice anything that was out of place. She was able to keep calm until she looked down at Logan's feet.

_Don't look down, please don't look down,_ Rogue thought to herself. One of Logan's boots was crushing the King of Hearts she dropped.

Her anxiety must have been visibly mounting. She was twiddling with her gloves nervously, shifting her weight, biting her lip. Logan knew something was up.

"You okay, Stripes?" Logan asked. Rogue cursed at herself inside her head.

"Uh, yeah. Ah'm fahne, Logan. Just still amped from the trainin' session," Rogue slowed her voice to make it sound more convincing. She immediately stopped acting like a walking tell-tale. Logan raised an eyebrow, and looked her up and down.

_Please don't take a deep breath,_ the suspense was killing Rogue. If she was lucky the smell of fear would overpower the essence a la Remy.

"You sure?" Logan asked.

_Damn it, Logan,_ Rogue needed to get him away from her room, and fast, "Yeah, Ah'm sure… Ah think Ah'm gonna change first."

_Take the hint, pleeeeeaaaase,_ Rogue had half a mind to rush him out of the room forcefully, but that would raise more suspicion.

"Whatever you say, Rogue," Logan grunted and left the doorway. Rogue waited a couple seconds before taking a breath and retrieving Remy. If she was petrified, Remy must have been sweating bullets. She opened the closet and yanked him out. When he was out he bent over, breathing deeply. Adrenaline was running high in both of them. Rogue actually felt a little sorry for him. He had to have been holding his breath. Being a thief, Remy was used to holding his breath to hide his location. But security guards typically don't have a canine sense of smell.

"Merci… beaucoup," he huffed. Remy stood up straight as soon as he could.

"Ya don't have to thank meh," Rogue said, "He would have gutted ya rahght here if he found ya in mah room."

"Oh, Chéri. You do care for dis Cajun," Remy said half-joking. Rogue simply rolled her eyes

"Ugh… Get out of mah room before he comes back," Rogue ordered. Remy chuckled lightly at her response

"Anyt'ing for you, mon Chéri," Remy bowed and hurried out of the room.

"And stop callin' meh that!" Rogue shouted after him.

Remy poked his head through her door wearing a sly grin, "Ya know ya lahke it… Chéri."

Rogue only groaned in response. She entertained the idea of throwing something at him, but he was already gone. But he poked his head through her door one last time to say, "Better, change lahke ya said, Rogue. De wolf-man will t'ink somet'ing is up if ya don'."

He had used her name that time. Rogue figured he was actually being serious, and he was looking out for her. He was gone before she could say anything. She peeked out of her door to see which way Remy went but he had practically vanished like a ghost. The only thing he left behind was his King of Hearts card. A smile crept across her face. Some compulsion caused her to retrieve the card. She went to her nightstand and placed the king next to his queen to keep it safe until she had a chance to return it to Remy

Rogue dug around her dresser to find something decent to wear. It was a tougher task than it usually would have been. Her mind was preoccupied with Remy and how life at the institute just became more interesting.

* * *

**Sorry it took so long to update. I strive for polished work. Hope I kept everyone in character. Let me know what you think.**


	3. Meetings and Messages

**I do not own X-Men: Evolution**

**A/N: Thank you for being so patient. I haven't had a case of writers block like the one I just got over for a long time. I'll try to update this one a lot sooner again.**

Chapter 3: Meetings and Messages

All the students at the Xavier Institute shuffled into the foyer, eagerly waiting to meet the new student. Trying to anticipate who it would be was a fool's game, given the growing diversity of mutant kind. Rogue, being the only one who knew the truth, kept a low profile. If there was something the teens at the Xavier institute could smell that Logan couldn't, it was the smell of a secret. If the students detected she knew anything they would hound her with countless questions. The questions would lead to how she knew and then all the secrets would come out, much to Rogue's dismay.

The teachers filed into the foyer area, wrenching everyone's attention from what they were doing. The students immediately noticed Remy was amongst them. The speculation that had circulated around who the student was failed to figure Remy in as a possibility. There were uncomfortable and uncertain murmurs billowing around the students; the last time most of them had seen Remy they were on the receiving end of his attacks. For those students having a former adversary in the same room not trying to kill you was upsetting.

On a different note, Scott and Kurt were a little more conflicted with how they should react. The last time they had seen Remy, they were pulling him, his father, and Rogue out of an explosive situation. That was after the fact that he had kidnapped her. Kurt had embraced being Rogue's brother full heartedly, breathing life into his more protective side. That only served his hatred for the fact that Remy was this close to his sister again.

Scott's emotional reaction touched on many points. Remy had been an enemy on many occasions, and now he was being brought on to the team? It was absurd, even more than when Lance had given the X-Men a try. Scott was a leader and often thought from many perspectives. At the present he was stuck on skepticism. He wondered why Remy was there, why he was there now, and what his real intentions were. New students were inevitable at the Xavier institute, but a former enemy? The last time they tried having a former enemy at the mansion, it ended with Lance Alvers walking out on the team, but he was justified. For all Scott knew, this time it could end with a bigger mess than a couple of wrecked vehicles.

But did Remy really qualify as an enemy anymore? He wasn't particularly hostile toward them during the incident in New Orleans. One thing was certain though: Scott was going to be keeping a close eye on Remy during his stay.

"Students, this is our new student," Xavier began, "I believe you all know Mr. Lebeau on some level or another, definitely not under good circumstances."

"You could say that again," Bobby whispered to Scott. Xavier ignored the remark and continued.

"Remy is going to be staying with us for awhile, and if this turns out to be what he is looking for, he'll be welcome to stay here on a more permanent basis," Xavier said. Everyone exchanged glances. While that did explain some questions, it did not address the question on everyone's mind: why?

The uniform interest was easy to pick up on for Xavier. He figured he shouldn't leave his students in the dark. Given all they had been through and all that they had dealt with together Xavier owed them that.

"Mr. Lebeau's reasons for being here are many. Out of respect for him, I won't go into details. I can say this, he's here to get a new start," that answer still baffled the rest of the students, "Remy's has been given a chance that few people get to have when they make mistakes. Like I said, I won't go into any details. It's up to him to decide if he wants to tell you more. But you all have my word. You have no reason to see him as an enemy."

Rogue was more curious than anyone else about the specifics behind Remy's arrival. The cryptic nature of Xavier's words along with the Remy's nature made sure of that. She made a mental note to ask him later, figuring that if Remy would tell anyone the particulars of his residence it would be her.

None of the students said a word. With the feelings of shock and awe out of the way, no one really knew how to react. The silence became agonizing prompting the live wire of the X-Men, Tabitha, to break the silence.

"Geez, guys, we all could at least say welcome to the team to him," she blurted out from the back of the group. Everyone stared at her. She did not feel bad about being so blunt. It was rather disappointing to see everyone not giving Remy such a warm welcome. While she did understand some of their reasons, she was not one to let the past spoil the present. She wasn't that kind of girl.

Remy's arrival became an instant highlight in her day. She was glad that there was another stud around the mansion that wasn't taken. She looked him up and down from where she sat and was not disappointed. He had an exotic air about him on top of a body that a she could not help but admire. She gave him a wink when everyone stopped looking. Remy shifted uncomfortably at that. On the other hand, he liked being reminded he still had a way with the ladies. But that part of his life was over, thanks to Xavier's rules. And Tabitha wasn't the _femme_ he was eying. Even so, Remy didn't let that stop him from flashing a brief smile at her.

Rogue caught the exchange out of the corner of her eye, huffing disgustedly. It was just like Tabitha to be flirtatious and Remy…why did she care if

Xavier relieved everyone and allowed them to return to their day. Scott lingered behind with questions, nipping at his tongue. Rogue stole one last glimpse at Remy before leaving. Questions of her own were building up pressure inside her mind. As such, that pressure got her starting to think of all the possible reasons Remy was here. Some were good, others terrible, some completely out of this world, and other reasons that only exist once in a blue moon much to Rogue's dismay. Chances were that his reasons were going to be completely ordinary and as bland as any other.

Xavier felt the introduction went better than expected, but that wasn't saying much. Tension between Remy and the rest of the students was going to last for a bit.

"So, what now?" Remy asked Xavier.

"There is nothing else we really need to do today. I suggest you finish getting settled," Xavier advised. Remy had no objection to that. After all, it probably was better to deal with his bags which S.H.I.E.L.D. had "kindly" packed for him sooner than later.

"Quick question, Professeur," Remy halted Xavier, "Who's de tech person here?"

"Oh, that would be Hank McCoy," Xavier answered. Remy thanked him and went to find Hank. After he left, it was just Scott and Xavier, "I imagine you have some questions."

Scott nodded, "Professor, I don't mean to be rude, but I think I deserve to know why Gambit is really here."

"Do you trust me, Scott?" Xavier asked, keeping his tone even. The question was unnecessary for the both of them.

"Of course I trust you, Professor," Scott quickly answered, "It's just… I lead the X-Men. I wouldn't be a good leader if I wasn't looking out for them."

Xavier drummed his fingers on the armrests of his wheelchair. Scott's concerns were legitimate, but his motivations for those concerns were not beyond being somewhat antagonistic, "What is it you're keeping a lookout for?"

"Do I really need to answer that? You and I both know Gambit's track record with the X-Men," Scott argued. Xavier's composure was unwavering. He knew Scott. The young man was not one to let first impressions go easily. Remy was no exception

"You're right. Even so, you also must know that he generally has good intentions," Xavier countered Scott's point, "When I debriefed Rogue about New Orleans even she said his heart was in the right place, in spite of his… lack of forethought."

"I know, I saw that for myself," Scott muttered, "I don't doubt that even he can be a good guy, but I just doubt that he'd be here without some agenda."

That was partly true. Remy was here to pay for his crimes, not because he wanted to be.

"If you're worried about him causing trouble for us, I can assure you that won't happen," Xavier tried to offer Scott something to satisfy him, but so far it was too little. Scott sighed in frustration.

"There's nothing you can tell me?" Scott asked feeling slightly rejected.

"Scott, it's a matter of respect for Remy that I can't tell you all the particulars of his current situation," Xavier answered, he held a hand up before Scott could object any further, "Put yourself in Remy's shoes for a moment. Would you want the world to know about something about you that you're ashamed of? Before you're ready for them to know?"

Scott didn't like it, but he thought of himself as Xavier instructed. He did not have anything to be greatly ashamed of in his life, but if he did he felt he would want to reveal it on his own terms. While that was not always the best way to deal with some secrets, it was necessary depending on the situation. Secrets being revealed out of the blue, depending on how big they are, could destroy a relationship in seconds. That happened to him and his ex-girlfriend Taryn when mutants were revealed to the world. Scott realized that for Remy he needed to have a certain level of trust with someone before letting the secrets come out.

Scott thought of Jean, and how he would hate losing her over secrets and trust issues. The frailty of Remy's current situation was brought to light for Scott. It was a very slippery and fragile situation for him.

That was something Scott could respect, "I think I understand, Professor. Uh… I'm sorry for being pushy."

Xavier nodded and offered Scott a smile, "It's quite alright, Scott. I made you a leader for a reason. For what it's worth, you're doing a good job."

"Thanks."

"If it's any comfort," Xavier offered, "I feel he will be willing to reveal all in due time. Men like Remy just need time."

--

Remy found Hank down in the labs working. It was a shock at first to see Hank hanging upside down reading over some notes.

"Excusez-moi, Monsieur McCoy," Remy knocked on the laboratory door.

"Yes, Mr. Lebeau, what can I do for you?" Hank asked, smiling broadly.

"You wouldn' by any chance happen to have a frequency scanner, would ya?" Remy asked, trying to be non-chalant about it.

Hank dropped from the ceiling, landing on his feet with grace, "Certainly. Might I ask why you need it?"

Remy saw this question coming. It's not every day someone asks for a frequency scanner, "Did de professor tell you de little story behind why I'm here?"

"The whole theft-getting-caught-by-Nick-Fury thing? Yeah, I got the abstract version," Hank answered light-heartedly, poking some fun out of the situation. Remy groaned hoping that Hank wasn't a loud-mouth. Remy wasn't sure if he could live down being a master thief that got caught if everyone found out.

"Den you probably know why I want de scanner," Remy muttered, Hank nodded knowingly and handed him the scanner from the equipment locker, "I'd appreciate it if you didn' tell anyone about de… you know."

"Trust me, Mr. Lebeau, I wouldn't tell a soul even if Xavier hadn't told me not to," Hank raised his right hand to emphasize the point. Remy nodded in thanks and made his way back to his room.

When he got there he stripped down to his underwear and threw his jumpsuit and boots onto the bed. He switched on the frequency scanner and began to go to work. The scanner had a light that flashed in regular intervals. It would flash faster if it came in proximity of a receiving or sending signal. Remy started with scanning his boots, watching the blinking light carefully. There was no shift in its pattern as Remy moved the scanner over his boots. They were clean.

He moved to his jumpsuit next, yielding the same result. His coat was a different story. As Remy moved the scanner over the coat pockets the flashing light began to blink rapidly. He wrenched his hand inside his coat's pockets feeling around for anything unusual, and sure enough he found something. It was small, barely the size of a penny with a wire attached. Remy retrieved the small object and found exactly what he expected: a wire tap, or a bug of some sort.

Fury did not give Remy enough credit. Remy was a master thief. One doesn't get there without staying one step ahead of the law. Checking for bugs when necessary, being thorough… Remy's philosophy rung true in his ears, _one does what they have to. _

Whether it was a locater bug or a listening device, Remy didn't know. He just wanted to find the rest of them. He plopped the bug on his nightstand and finished skimming the rest of his coat. After he was finished with that he moved on to his clothes. After an hour of scanning and rescanning, Remy had a pile of about thirty or so bugs on his nightstand. He finished his search by scanning his decks of cards, his staff, and other paraphernalia he had with him. He still needed to check his motorcycle.

Remy dressed in a pair of rugged jeans, and a black T-shirt that hugged his physique tightly. When he was decent, he made his way to the garage, with the other bugs in tow. His hot rod was conveniently parked next to the other motorcycles. He scanned it top to bottom, front to back. He found one bug burrowed deep in the main chassis, and another hidden beneath the speedometer. Fury really wanted to keep tabs on him.

The scanner went crazy with all the radio waves projecting from the little devices; all of the bugs and listening devices were still active. He placed the two bugs from his bike into a small paper bag with the rest. Remy was tempted to call Fury to tell him where he could stick all these bugs. The initial insult of how much this invaded Remy's privacy had subsided, so it was in his best interest to be rational.

The bugs spoke volumes about how Fury felt about him. Remy wasn't stupid enough to run, Fury's spiel from earlier made certain of that. The man must have figured jail wasn't enough of an insurance policy to not keep an eye on Remy.

Like clockwork, Remy's new cell phone began to ring. It caught him off-guard at first; the ringtone was generic and being used to his own, Remy did not register it immediately. After the second ring Remy retrieved it from his pocket. The caller ID came up as "Restricted #". It had to be Nick Fury.

After the third ring, Remy answered, "Bon Jour."

"Gambit, glad to see you got to the Xavier institute okay," Fury said deviously. His words perplexed Remy. The timing of Fury's call certainly was coincidental, "How are you settling in?"

Remy sighed. It was bad enough he had to work for Fury, but now the man wanted to chit chat? That was just simply annoying "Jus' grand."

"Hmm… Yeah, I don't really care," Fury said quickly gearing the conversation the way he saw fit, "I take it you found the bugs?"

Fury did not sound at all miffed or upset. That told Remy one thing: Fury expected him to find them. It was a mind game, a ploy. Remy bit his lower lip. He did not think about that and considering that this was Fury, he should have figured. Men like Fury had to get some sick, twisted pleasure out of screwing with people's heads.

"Yeah, whoevah planted dem didn' do dat good of a job," Remy spat, he didn't care if Fury knew he was pissed or not, "What was de damn point of all dat, huh?"

"Come on, Gambit. You grew up in a life of crime, guild wars, territoriality… I know you know the answer to your question," Fury chuckled, knowing full well he was touching a couple nerves in Remy.

Remy did know the answer. He begrudgingly answered, "You jus' want to send a message. Dat's it, _juste_ (right)?"

"Bingo," Fury answered, "I know you probably have entertained the idea of running. New assets tend to do that. Think of the bugs as a friendly reminder that I will find you if you choose to catch a case of the 'stupid virus' and run."

Remy offered no response to that. He hated Fury then. The man had to have serious issues, there was no other explanation.

"You behave yourself, Gambit. You'll be hearing from me soon… real soon," Fury said condescendingly. The call cut out soon after.

_Jus' great. Yeah, you jus' had to get caught didn' ya, Remy¸ _he thought to himself. He pulled out a cigarette and lit up, trying to relieve some of the anxiety that Fury's call just stirred up. The old training he received helped him keep calm. There were certain inevitabilities in life that just should be accepted. In Remy's case, it was eventually doing favors for Fury. There was not much point in stressing over what things that wouldn't change.

--

**Next update should be coming a lot sooner, I promise. This wasn't as long as I hoped but anything else I could have put in would have just drawn it out longer than needed.**


	4. Exposure and Inevitability

**I do not own X-Men: Evolution**

**A/N: I know, I failed at updating sooner. I've kind of shot myself in the foot between school, work, and having two stories that I have to update. Sorry it didn't come sooner.**

Chapter 4: Inevitability

A couple days passed and Remy began to get into the full swing of things at the institute. He learned quickly that there rarely was a dull moment around the institute. With twelve other mutant teens around, chaos was an everyday occurrence. Aside from all the rules that had to be followed, it was a lot like Remy's old home back in New Orleans especially when it came down to the insanity of it all.

With the initial shock of Remy's arrival out of the way, most of the students began to treat him like an equal peer. The few exceptions were Scott, Kurt, and Rogue. Although Scott respected Remy's privacy, he still kept an eye on him because of all the unknowns that danced around Remy. It was going to take some getting used to having him around. Even so, Scott tried to keep some measure of faith in Xavier. Kurt was watching Remy for different reasons. He was watching Remy in regard to Rogue. He was not inclined in the slightest to trust him around her.

During Remy's first days at the mansion were relatively lax. But Logan kept his promise on making him "cozy" with the Danger Room. Two days after his arrival, training began.

"Get your ass in gear, Gumbo!" Logan barked at Remy as the DR turrets fired up for his first training session. His objective was simple: get across the room, fifty feet across, in five minutes. With Logan controlling the session the word simple was laughable.

When all the turrets aimed straight for Remy, he vocalized the only thought going through his head, "Ay merde."

The turrets began to fire, interrupting his thoughts and barely missing him. He dove behind a chest high wall. That was a closer call than he was comfortable with. He peeked over the chest high wall and counted the targets while calculating the best possible way to get past them. He only had a couple of seconds before the turrets registered he had exposed his head and fired profusely at him.

Remy ducked his head behind the protection of the wall. He felt the energy bolts whiz over his head for a couple of seconds before they ceased their barrage. The time was not on Remy's side. He estimated he had about three and a half minutes left and he had barely gained five feet. He needed to gain ground, fast.

Up in the control room, Logan had the same thought, "Ya gotta pick up the pace, Gumbo!"

Remy sent a tentative glare up at the control room. Logan saw that, slightly amused, "You gotta be kiddin' me, homme."

Logan raised an eyebrow at the Cajun's comment, "Perhaps a little _motivation_ is what you need."

He pressed a button on the control interface and the wall that Remy felt behind him shot down into the ground. Remy turned to see his cover was gone, "Dat's jus' cruel."

A couple of shots from the laser turrets definitely were the motivation he needed. Remy was up on his feet, sprinting in a zigzag pattern across the DR floor. He drew a card from his deck, charged it, and threw it into one of the turrets. It blew the turret away on contact. Remy was mildly satisfied with his choice of weapon; it was too small for the turrets to shoot down. He couldn't revel in his satisfaction long since his position was about to take up the same space as a dozen other energy bolts.

Remy continued to dodge the shots. At this point he had about a minute to gain twenty feet. It was time to improvise. Remy quickly assessed his options and made a split-second decision. He ran in an arc around the DR room and then began to cut across it toward the end point. The way Remy ran Logan had seen with highly-trained individuals. Watching Remy was like watching a Parkour runner; constant motion, vaulting and climbing over obstacles seamlessly. The added flare to it all was Remy's card throwing. He made card-throwing an art. Anywhere he wanted a card to go, it went. Cards glided through the air smoothly like a frisbee.

One thing that was surprising to Logan about Remy was how he could smoke and still move like that. For Logan, his healing factor took care of all the cancer and disease so he had not problem. Remy though? That was a mystery.

There were a couple more floor-mounted turrets between Remy and the end. He sprinted toward the finish and as the turrets fired off a couple more rounds he dove forward. He became a smaller target for the turrets. He landed on his side and began to slide between two turrets, brushing his fingertips against the side of one as he passed. The turret flared up and exploded after a couple seconds. It was a completely unnecessary act, but the theatrics might have gotten a point across to Logan that he wasn't an amateur.

Remy rolled onto his feet and sprinted the remaining ten feet he had left and finished the exercise with time to spare. Sweat dripped from his brow. This place was a hell of a workout.

"You cut that one pretty close," Logan chimed in through the PA system, "Let's run it again."

Remy cursed to himself. Logan wanted him to run the simulation a couple times before calling it a day. Each time was tweaked a bit to keep Remy on his toes. All in all this simulation was pretty basic, but Remy aptitude for this work was apparent. His finish time got faster with each trial despite the changes and shifts that Logan applied.

After the last trial ended Logan didn't offer much in the way of compliments. He looked over Remy's completion times in concurrence with the difficulty level of the session and said, "Well that was okay, but it ain't gonna set the world on fire. But you survived so I guess that counts for something. Hit the showers, Gumbo."

Remy shrugged off the comment and responded patronizingly, "You're de boss."

Logan caught the tone of indignation in Remy's voice and simply grunted to himself.

Remy made his way up to the mansion levels dripping sweat. When he was in the elevator that took him up he slumped against its side. While he kept himself composed while in the view of others, he really felt that workout. The session taught him that Logan wasn't one to pull punches, even in training. It made sense right then to Remy why the X-Men were proficient in combat, despite their age.

As the elevator neared its destination, Remy pulled himself away from the wall and stood tall despite the aches he felt in his legs and back. As he made his way to the bathroom to freshen up he passed the lounge. A couple of the new mutants were playing cards while others watched CNN. Yet again the media was going over the mutant question causing Remy to stop and watch for a moment. The current anchor was mediating a heated talk between two pundits on the issue. Thankfully their debate wasn't the typical right wing nutter versus left wing hippie spit that clogged the sink of piss poor news coverage of America.

"Look at the facts! They are living weapons, they are prone to violence as the footage shows. These things have already tried to dominate the rest of us!" the inflammatory hate-speech of Senator Philip Voigt. He was one of the many senators who were on the side of registration, "The Apocalypse nutjob, that Magneto psychopath… oh and the quote-unquote school in Bayville, New York… they're coming out of the woodwork!"

Rogue was in the room too, and her attention was torn from her book to the LCD screen mounted on the far wall of the lounge. The other pundit on the show was given his chance to respond now that the racist senator was hushed by the anchor.

For some inexplicable reason, the other pundit wasn't a senator; rather he was the owner of a major newspaper.

"Senator Voigt, if you please we need to allow everyone to get a word in," the anchor said, somewhat frustratingly, "The floor is yours Mr. Jameson."

"Senator Voigt, do you have any idea how dumb and amoral your argument is," Jameson began, immediately striking up a fire between himself and the senator.

"Now let's keep this civil, Mr. Jameson," the anchor urged, Jameson cut him off before he could say more.

"No, there are no better words for his argument!" Jameson's voice belted out over the anchor, "Yes or no: you want to register mutants?"

Senator Voigt unwaveringly answered, "Yes."

"So you want to register them because they are different?" Jameson asked bluntly.

"I want them registered with the government because they are dangerous. Look at the facts," Senator Voigt answered.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes."

"For the record, Senator Voigt, not all of them are as dangerous as you would have the world believe," Jameson began. Everyone in the room was watching the show now. It was rare to have someone as outspoken about mutant rights as Jameson, "From what I gather you would have these people register because they are born differently. This kind of discrimination is something I thought America would have grown out of after World War Two and the civil rights movement! After registering these mutants, where does it stop?"

The anchor and Senator Voigt tried to get a word in but Jameson was unrelenting, "I'm looking at your political record, Voigt, and it's interesting because it says that you were in favor of acquitting Bolivar Trask after the sentinel incident. Even further, you are pushing the senate to pass a bill that will not only force mutants to register, but also force I quote 'special education and conditioning'. This is something I would expect in Nazi Germany."

There was a pause in Jameson's heated speech, he took a breath before continuing, "America, this is where we're headed. It's not enough that the world is circling the drain, but now the government is seeking to control people's lives on the basis that they are born different. We have to face facts, there are going to be mutants among us, but if you're going to judge them by a couple of extremists, then just look at our own race!"

The debate continued after that, and it fell into another back and forth debate where neither party looked like it had the upper hand. Everyone in the room though felt some sense of gratitude to Jonah Jameson. After reading some of his papers on a certain super-powered vigilante in New York, they all would have assumed he would have pushed for registration, not the opposite. On the other hand, he had a strong record of pushing equal rights.

Remy began to lose interest in the show. He caught Rogue's eyes before she lost herself in her book again. They stood there and stared at each other for a couple of seconds. It was becoming slightly uncomfortable for the both of them, though Remy was able to hide it better. Wanting to save Rogue some grief, he simply nodded and said, "Evenin', Chéri."

He left to go take a shower like he was supposed to before it got anymore awkward. Kitty was in the room and saw the brief exchange. She felt a little giddy inside after seeing something that cute. The urge to inundate her former room mate with questions was nearly overwhelming. Kitty in particular needed something to get her mind off of some troubles of her own anyway. Rogue on the other hand wasn't sure what she was supposed to do with… whatever just happened. It seemed pretty insignificant but Remy did leave rather abruptly. That wasn't in his nature. Rogue would have pegged him to publically try to come on to her. After all, he was in her head once.

Then again, perhaps his actions were his response to the way she had been treating him.

Rogue was distant with Remy, as she was with any new arrivals. The difference was that she and Remy had a history, so her reasons for staying away were only more complicated. Figure in the little exchange that went on between Remy and Tabitha, and Rogue had plenty of reasons for keeping away. "Why the hell did she care?" was a question that nagged at her whenever she thought about that. It's not like Remy's interest in her would last, thanks to her powers.

However, the two southerners did have to interact a bit, but it was casual at most. A hello, a please, a thank you, good morning, good night, and plenty of other insignificant phrases were the only exchanges between them for the first couple days. Rogue's aloofness put Remy off, which was unprecedented with him. He always knew how to act around women in just about every situation imaginable. But Rogue, a girl he may never even be able to touch, was throwing him for a loop. It wasn't just that either. The decrease of Remy's playful behavior, unknown to Rogue, was largely due to Fury. She noticed he did seem rather obsessed with that phone of his.

Rogue's current conundrum, was how to go about Remy. She herself was puzzled with why when Remy arrived it seemed to shake her world up. Whether said shaking was a good thing or not, she didn't know. The scary part was she _let_ him have that effect on her. However, the days that followed his arrival, Remy acting distant made Rogue feel like her life was a little off kilter. Perhaps the little excitement she got when he arrived was like a drug she wanted more of.

Rogue puckered her brows when she thought of it that way. It was completely absurd.

_If it's that absurd, then whah are ya havin' so much trouble gettin' back into your book?_ She asked herself. The answer eluded Rogue. She needed to get her mind focused on something else aside from Remy. He was just so damn frustrating. She knew Kitty was having some relationship woes lately. The whole institute knew about it on some level or another, but only Rogue knew the details, as she was Kitty's best friend in and out of the institute. Kitty and Lance had a fight earlier that day, one of many that had happened earlier. She hid it well, but it was wearing her down.

Rogue got up from her seat and asked Kitty if she wanted to just talk about whatever. Her friend took the offer without a second thought and the two of them scatted away. Win-win; Rogue gets her mind off of Remy and Kitty would be able to vent.

--

"And… we're clear," a technical specialist cued to Senator Philip Voigt that the live feed to CNN was off. The news crew in his office began to scramble to clean up their equipment and split as soon as they could.

The senator grunted gladly now that the debate was over. He hated being grilled on national television like that, by a journalist no less. His secretary, Trent Hammond, brought him a glass of water immediately along with his schedule for the rest of the day.

"Damn that Jameson," he muttered to himself, his secretary heard and nodded in agreement with his boss, "It's people like that that keep people like me from making progress in this country."

"Indeed, sir," Voigt's secretary agreed most compliantly.

"We're going to need to call in some favors so we can negate whatever damage Jameson's little speech may do," Voigt informed his secretary, "Hammond? When was my teleconference with Purifier Initiatives scheduled?"

Hammond skimmed the schedule for Stryker's name and reported, "In fifteen minutes, sir."

"Excellent," Voigt said checking his watch. He would have time to collect himself before making his call.

"And what of the Kelly situation?" Trent asked. Making notes as they talked.

Senator Voigt turned to Trent bewildered, "Kelly? Oh, right, the city of Bayville… Contact him and schedule a meeting. Make it as soon as possible. I want to see what this guy is made of. See if he's worth our support."

"Of course, sir," Trent answered, finishing with his notes.

As soon as the news crew cleared out, followed by his secretary, Senator Voigt made his call to the CEO of the private military company known as Purifier Initiatives. The call tone rang twice before darkened voice answered on the other side, "This is Stryker."

"Good evening, Stryker," Senator Voigt answered plainly.

"Is this line secure?" Stryker asked nervously. His relation to Voigt needed to be as private as possible.

"Of course," Voigt assured, "Let's make this quick. I trust that Creed has accommodated our agenda."

Stryker chuckled to himself, "Yes, his contribution to the cause is most appreciated."

"Good. And how about our contribution to the medical field?" Senator Voigt asked cryptically.

"We're running trials right now. It looks very promising," Stryker answered. That was good news, but there was a tone in Stryker's voice that indicated a catch, "But if we are to make any more progress, I'm going to need you to secure that contract for my company. Understood?"

_Damn Mercs_, Voigt thought to himself. They always had to squeeze, "Consider it done. Just make sure our contribution is ready to be deployed if the doomsday scenario comes into play. Creed will continue to lobby for your company's aims so you should have no reason to slow down progress."

"Of course, Senator," Stryker took the hint under advisement. This was the way the game was played; give some get some, "Have a goodnight."

--

Later in the middle of the night, Remy he couldn't sleep. The nagging feeling of expecting Fury to call at any moment made his sleep irregular. That on top of thinking about Rogue, made sleep impossible. He sat up in his bed, feeling the residual aches and pains from his training session earlier. Was his body tired? Yes. Was his mind the same? No. If he was going to get any sleep that night he needed to tire his mind out.

Remy swung his legs over the edge of his bed, cracking his neck to alleviate some of the aches. He followed up with arching and curving his back, feeling numerous satisfying cracks. He looked at the clock and saw that it was a quarter to one in the morning.

"Y' need to relax, _homme_," Remy muttered to himself as he rubbed his temples. He grabbed a cigarette from his nightstand and went to his balcony to smoke. He stood only in his briefs as he took the smoke in, feeling his hairs stand on end in response to the nightly breeze. After a couple of drags, Remy's mind calmed down a bit, but not enough. He finished off his cigarette, dissatisfied with the results. This was insane; he couldn't calm his mind down and Fury hadn't even given him a job yet.

There were other ways to deal with that though. At that, Remy was curious as to where Logan would hide his booze, if he had any. Passing out wasn't what he had in mind, but a couple of drinks would probably help get him closer to sleep. It wasn't an ideal choice, but it was better than valium or pills of any kind.

Remy threw on a pair of basketball shorts and snuck out of his room to the kitchen. As he got closer he heard someone already rummaging around in the fridge. Remy walked with the silence of a serpent, his curiosity immediately taking hold. He pressed his back against the wall next to the doorway and peered inside. The kitchen was bathed in a cerulean hue, save a jagged manila splash of light emanating from the inside of the refrigerator. A feminine figure was bent over, her body obstructed by the fridge door. All Remy could see was a pair of milky, slender legs. He knew that skin well. He had a good feeling of who it was as he admired the sight. There was a nagging in the back of his head he hadn't felt since he decided to ignore his Catholic upbringing. It was telling him to look away out of respect. He tore his eyes away from the kitchen, in spite of himself, but it would have been bad if Rogue had found him peeping.

Now that he wasn't distracted, Remy quickly remembered his original curiosity. Rogue couldn't sleep… she was alone… perhaps now would be a good time to do… something. Part of the reason Remy had refrained from coming onto her earlier was to spare her the embarrassment in front of the other students. Anything that happened between them in private would stay between them. He knew Rogue; she was the type of gal to keep guy's hitting on her to herself, unlike the rest of the _femmes_ at the institute. Gossip vampires were how Remy would describe them in some cases.

What was his game plan though? Just waltz on in there and strike up a conversation way out of the blue in regard to the fact that they had been avoiding each other? Remy kept his breathing steady to avoid alerting Rogue to his presence. All he could do is just stand outside the kitchen with his back against the wall asking the perpetual question all guys face: should I or should I not?

_What de hell is your problem?_ Remy asked himself. He never had this problem with other women. But Rogue, wasn't like any woman he knew, she was an enigma. Even so, they were friends. Yes, that was all they were. _So what's your problem, homme? Your jus' gonna be talkin' with a friend._

A sigh escaped Remy's throat. He put on his best face and emerged from the hallway, lightly knocking on the kitchen doorframe. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at the sight that greeted him. He corrected his face after a couple seconds, not really caring if she caught his expression. Rogue was wearing a white tank and black pajama shorts cut off at the mid-thigh. This was a rare sight for Remy, seeing her with so much skin revealed. The raw emotion of her face was one of subtle discomfort; she was well-aware that her body was only covered by a pair of shorts and a tank. Her bed hair was cute too. She must not have expected anyone else to be up.

_Amis, Remy… Amis! _Remy's conscience scolded.

Rogue's head immediately shot up and turned to the doorway Remy stood in. Her emerald gem eyes focused on the burning red irises that drifted in the dark. Remy. Her eyes adjusted to the light and her mind immediately signaled multiple alarms upon the realization of what she saw. Once she got past the fact it was Remy, she realized that he was shirtless. His upper body had the occasional scar around the abdomen; souvenirs of his old life, that accented the well-toned features of chest and abdominal area. The spectacle of it all stirred some strange feelings inside, admiration being near the top of the list.

Was she checking him out? Rogue immediately refocused on Remy's eyes.

"Trouble sleepin', Chéri?" Remy's words rolled off his tongue flirtatiously. He caught Rogue's eyes wandering a second ago. He knew she looked good already, but his blood continued to heat up.

"You tryin' to sneak up on meh again?" she asked defensively, trying to keep herself in check. Remy still stood in the doorway, not the least put off by her tone. In fact it seemed to only encourage him. A broad smile spread across his face.

"Non, we don' have a bed for ya to toss me on," Remy joked. Rogue rolled her eyes; she had a feeling he wasn't going to let her live that one down. Just great, "Besides, if I wanted to sneak up on ya, you wouldn' have seen moi before it was too late."

His grin was a mischievous one. If it wasn't a mischievous grin it was a flirtatious one, always one or the other. At least, that's what it always was with Rogue. He laughed slightly, thinking about their reunion a couple days ago. The way Rogue threw him was a constant reminder of how independent she was. He liked a girl who took charge of her own life. For Remy, that was a trait to die for in a woman. He figured he should have remembered that sooner, considering Rogue almost tossed him out of a boxcar once and she made it crystal clear she "doesn't like being pushed in any direction."

"So, you gonna answer my question?" Remy asked. He slid over the table sitting across from Rogue. As he slouched against the chair, his legs spread out under the table, coming dangerously close to Rogue's. By instinct she recoiled, visibly pushing herself a little further away from the table. She was dismayed by Remy's kinesics. She knew that he knew he was invading her personal space even when there was a table between them.

"Whah do you want to know?" Rogue asked, trying to put him off. In the back of her mind, Rogue was trying figure out why she was being so defensive with Remy. She knew she didn't like the awkwardness that had spawned between her and Remy, which resulted in them avoiding each other. Why she was upset with him was a little mystery. Was she upset about them avoiding each other the last couple days? No, that was too simple of an answer.

"Can't a friend be concerned?"

In all honesty, she was upset with her expectations of Remy not being met. After Remy snuck up on her the day he arrived, she had expected him to be dogging her steps whenever Logan was not menacingly watching him. At the least she expected him to be more social with her, like than they had been during their time in New Orleans. That was a frightening realization; what she wanted was Remy's attention. That wasn't too unreasonable between _friends_, was it? Well she had his attention now and she was pushing it away. No, she wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to just talk with her friend. Besides, she was still very much curious as to the real reasons why he was here now, as opposed to sooner.

"Ah… Ah suppose," Rogue stammered. Her eyes softened. Remy really liked it when they did that. It was cute.

"So tell me, Chéri," Remy cleared his throat and his smile faded. He wanted to show his concern was genuine, "What's keepin' a femme like you up?"

She shot him a frown, "Didn't Ah tell ya to stop callin' meh that?"

Remy sighed, and his voice became assertive, "Come on, Rogue. Stop dodgin' de question."

Frustration was beginning to take hold of Remy, _Why can't filles ever jus' be straightforward?_

"Fahne," Rogue conceded, "The psahches in mah head are just actin' up again. It just gets a little loud sometahmes."

It was a vague answer, but Remy could fill in the blanks. She had a lot of baggage in her head, a lot of it that didn't even belong to her. His mind fired off countless names of all the people that she probably had floating around in there: bits and pieces of the X-men, Magneto, Mystique, the Acolytes… him. No wonder she was not sleeping well tonight.

"Je suis désole, Chéri," he apologized. Remy felt that he had to because he might have been in her head. He didn't mean for that to be. In this he saw his chance to dig a little deeper, and to steer the conversation back toward a more friendly feeling, "Ya wanna talk about it? You know dat mon ears are yours when you want dem. Maybe it'd help you sleep, Chéri."

Rogue looked down at her glass of water, and ran her finger around the rim of the glass. She considered objecting his continuous use of that name for her, but it hadn't worked so far. She appreciated his offer to listen. Sometimes that's just what a person needs, "Ah'm not sure there's much more to say than that. It's not lahke it's so bad that Ah can't handle it."

"Never said you couldn't," Remy agreed to an extent, "I jus' think you could stand to get it out of your system. Some things shouldn' be bottled up, ya know?"

She knew indeed; Rogue knew she wouldn't forget either what bottling things up does to a person. In all honesty, she never actually tried just talking about the psyches in her head. She and Xavier had usually just stuck with telepathic therapy and that was it. Xavier tried psychiatric approaches with her, but that didn't work well.

"Ah'm fahne, Remy," Rogue said, trying to get away from the subject. The visible tenseness of her body told a different story.

Remy closed some of the gap between him and Rogue, "I'm not convinced."

"Listen Remy, the voices are just actin' up a bit tonight. That's just the way some nights go," Rogue insisted. Remy instinctively backed off figuratively and literally, despite still being unsatisfied with the answer.

"Bien, if you say so, Chéri. De offer is dere whenevah you want it," Remy promised.

A tense feeling of his own began to nag at Remy's joints as a sign that the silence was about get awkward, "I think I'm gonna try to get some sleep."

All in all, that whole encounter seemed unsuccessful to Remy; he failed to get Rogue to open up in a great capacity making it feel like he was practically back at square one with her. He didn't want to believe it, but it was a lot easier talking with her when she was his captive. What had changed? Remy wished they could pick up where they left off. It was refreshing when talking with her before he came here.

He had a new personal goal now: get back to how they used to stand with each other. He craved that feeling of release that they used to have.

Remy was about to get up to leave when Rogue stopped him. She still had questions of her own, "Hey, Remy? Whah did you finally come here?"

Remy, while he had the answers, did not know what to say. He couldn't lie to Rogue though, he learned that lesson. He wasn't sure if he should tell her, let alone if he was even allowed to, "It's… complicated."

"Please, Remy, between everyone else's excuses for bein' here, I'm sure yours isn't that complicated," Rogue argued.

"You'd be su'prised," Remy replied, "If it's de same to you, I'd rather leave it at dat."

Rogue's curiosity was powerful. Remy stood and began to make his way out of the kitchen. She decided to take a leap of faith, "It's more than just the voices."

Remy turned on the spot and fixed his glowing eyes on Rogue. She hesitantly continued, "Ah see their memories too. The strong ones are lahke nightmares some nights and Ah can't stop mahself from dreamin' them."

Rogue could purge the psyches. Purging them got rid of the voices, the powers, the personalities, and even the wealth of memories and information. But some people's memories, particularly strong ones, are permanently burned into Rogue's mind no different from all of her memories. While they may fade with time, they still remain and reach the surface occasionally.

Remy sat back down, this time next to her. He didn't know if she was just trying to bait him, but he knew that she wasn't lying. It was an offering of sorts. The look in her eyes confirmed it; they looked as if they said, _your turn._

With a sigh, Remy returned the gesture, "I'm here now because it was either come here, or go to prison. I got caught stealin' and now I get to make up fo' it."

That wasn't what Rogue expected. But she knew Remy was a thief by trade. It seemed suiting that was his reason for being there. For all Rogue knew, he may not have ever come if he didn't get forced to come to the institute. From what she remembered from his psyche it is a great form of humiliation for a thief to get caught. Rogue now found it was no wonder why he didn't disclose his reasons for being at the institute to the entire school.

"So you bein' here is kahnd of lahke community service?" she asked, totally engaged.

Remy's eyes wandered from hers, "Sort of. Dere's more to it, but I'd rather not go into it. Not now anyway."

Rogue craved more, but like Remy, she knew she shouldn't push it. Push to far and he'd just clam up. He pretty much said he'd tell her more, so what she got out of him would suffice for now. The feeling was mutual for Remy. There was not much more to say now. Thank you's were unnecessary so they both got up this time and left the kitchen together, without another word about what they talked about.

Remy refused to let the night end on a somber note and quickly changed gears, "Might I walk ya back to your room, Chéri?"

Rogue raised an eyebrow and cracked a petite smile, "You're room is on the other sahde of the mansion."

"And?"

Rogue shrugged and began to head toward her room, "Fahne."

The twilit walk back to Rogue's room was silent, but nice. Rogue was very much satisfied that she took that chance in the kitchen. It paid off well. It may have only yielded a vague answer and spurred more questions, but it did break some of the awkward tension that had built up between her and Remy during his first few days at the institute. For Remy, it was a reminder that he needed to trust Rogue more. If he was going to mentally survive his current situation, he would need someone he could trust and talk to, and that night reminded that Rogue was just the person for that.

When the reached Rogue's room the flirtatious and hormonal synapses in Remy's brain seemingly turned back on. He took a couple seconds to admire her in the bluish hue of the night; the bed hair, the unprotected skin, the way it glowed in the moonlit hallways of the mansion. Rogue briefly did the same thing, scolding herself for the same reasons as before. Maybe it was because they both were tired now, but the discomfort of having that amount of skin exposed to each other was distant from their minds. It's one of those things that took getting used to, for both parties.

Remy wished he could hug her right then. For the first time since he had arrived at the institute Remy felt a little more at ease with the way his life was going. Rogue was the catalyst for that, there was no denying it. Even if he could hug her, it might have been too much.

With that, Remy settled for this, "Bonne nuit (good night), Chéri. Remember, your ami is right here."

"Ah know," she replied, giving him a soft smile that he very much enjoyed, "Sleep well, Remy."

The gentleman in Remy moved in to open the door for her. He stayed until it closed behind Rogue then made his way back to his own room. He collapsed on his bed as soon as he could, and both he and Rogue began to slip into a deep, pleasant sleep in no small part due to the other.

Remy didn't need the booze after all.

--

Six hours later, a ring began to emulate inside of Remy's ears. His phone continued to ring as Remy rolled around in his bed trying to ignore it. As his mind woke up, his mind organized itself. When he realized what it was he was hearing he shot up from his bed and fumbled around with his phone. He flipped it open and answered quickly, still disoriented.

The disorientation faded upon hearing the voice on the other side, "Mr. Lebeau?"

"Fury?"

"Time to go to work."

* * *

**A/N: I attempted a couple new writing techniques for this chapter. That's part of the reason why it took awhile (again) for me to update. I know telling you this sort of defeats the purpose of the technique, but I attempted symbolism.**

**Let me know if you could tell what the symbol was and what it was representative of.**

**Next Chapter: First Fury Favor.**

**I'll be working on updating my other X-Men story so it could be awhile. I'll do what I can, I promise that.**


	5. Nightshift

I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any Marvel Characters

Chapter 5: Nightshift

Rogue rolled herself out of bed to the sound of her alarm clock. She looked at the time on her digital clock and read six thirty and on a Monday that meant it was time to get ready for school. Logan didn't schedule an early-morning training session, much to her and everyone else's delight. As such, she fell into her regular routine; Rogue showered, dressed appropriately so her skin was covered and she wouldn't sweat from the early spring heat. As soon as she was decent, Rogue made her way to the kitchen to swipe some breakfast during the morning rush. During the chaos of everyone scrambling to get their meal, Rogue scanned the room for Remy.

She didn't see him immediately, but she wasn't worried. He probably was still sleeping since they kept each other up well into the middle of the night. She put Remy's absence from her mind for the time being and watched the news. The weather for the day was projected to be sunny and really warm for an early spring day. That would be nice, provided Ororo stayed in a good mood for the day.

In the background, Rogue heard Bobby ask one of the other students where Remy was. She turned in her seat, curious herself.

"Probably sleeping in," Scott answered distastefully, but his tone changed, given what little he knew of Remy's situation, "He doesn't have school unlike the rest of you. Probably taking advantage of that while he can, I sure as hell would."

"Ja, but Logan'll von't let zhat happen," Kurt said, "He'll probably get zhe danger room while the rest of us have to suffer through anozher day of name-calling and cold shoulders."

Bobby called from the other end of the table, "Dude, quit complaining! _You_ have someone who's willing to give you more than a nice warm shoulder."

Kurt smiled smugly, "Don't hate me because Amanda digs zhe fuzzy man."

The usual banter and antics erupted from there. Rogue saw Logan in the corner shake his head and roll his eyes at the mention of Remy. Logan wouldn't miss a chance put him through the wringer today. His reasoning would be, "Gotta make sure Gumbo's on the same level as the rest of you" which was a load of malarkey if Rogue had ever heard it. Remy was, if anything, well above most of the students at the institute. Even so, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him right then.

When he still hadn't shown up, Rogue began to wonder. As she and the rest of the students were about to leave she swore that Remy would have been around to see her off to school, his definition of being sweet and all. If nothing else, Rogue would have thought that Remy would have been at breakfast. A man his age normally has an insatiable appetite. While she was very curious, Rogue couldn't be late for class. She would have to look into it later.

She and many of the other students all piled into cars to ride to school. As soon as Rogue was secure riding shotgun, she caught out of the corner of her eye that a bike was missing from the garage. Remy's bike. He wasn't even at the mansion?

"Hey, Mr. Logan, can I drive today?" Kitty asked Logan, breaking Rogue's train of thought at that terrifying proposition. He looked at her and actually looked nervous at that idea. Everyone else in the van heard too.

"No!" they all cried in unison before Logan could answer. If he did he would have likely caved at the sight of Kitty's puppy-dog eyes, despite how traumatizing her driving was.

He was saved from that by everyone though, "Looks like the jury's spoken, Half-pint. Sorry."

"That's, like, so uncool guys," Kitty huffed, bitterly resigning herself to riding passenger.

Logan smiled smugly and took the driver's seat. The ride was smooth and went without incident, much to everyone's relief. While everyone scattered in the parking lot to head to class, Rogue hung back, curious. If there was anyone aside from the professor who knew everything that happened around the mansion, it was Logan.

"Hey, Logan, hold up for a sec, will ya?" Rogue called after him as he climbed back into the van.

"Stripes, you gotta get to class, Kelly ain't gonna cut you any slack if you're late," Logan cautioned.

"It'll just take a couple seconds," Rogue assured him leaning on the van door. Logan grunted. Why did he have to have a weakness for these kinds of kids?

"Okay, a couple of seconds. Shoot," Logan conceded, looking at the time on the van's radio. She had five minutes to class.

"Ah didn't see Remy this morning, and his bahke was missin'," Rogue began, Logan's eyes flickered for a second. His fault for training her to be so observant. Rogue had him inside her head long enough to know his tell-tale quirks and that he knew the answer to her impending question. He held his hand up to silence her.

"You don't have _that_ much time, Stripes," he interjected, which was true. In all honesty though, he didn't know how to answer that question. It was easier coming up with fake reasons to cover up one's real work, but for another person? That road led toward distrust and many other unpleasant things.

"Ah just wanted to know where Remy was," Rogue got straight to the point, but only got a sigh out of Logan. His expression softened a bit.

"Try not to think about it, Rogue. Ask me later, okay?" Logan tried to shy her away. He turned the van on trying to look like he was in a hurry, "Go on, get to class, Stripes."

Rogue stepped off of the van only more unable to get her mind off of where Remy was. Logan knew something, so much for trying to keep her mind off of it. Why was it such a big deal anyway? She just wanted to know where Remy was. What was the big secret?

* * *

"You still there, Mr. Lebeau?" Remy was speechless. This was the first one. A fear that Remy had not known since his first job came back to cut into his chest.

"Oui, Monsieur Fury," Remy swallowed hard awaiting his instructions. The same fear was forcing his hands to tremble ever so slightly. Before this fear could take control, Remy took a couple deep breaths as Fury spoke. His thieves' training was his bread and butter, like breathing, and it did not fail him. He debated a smoke for a second but decided against it. The less distractions the better. He needed to pay his full attention to Fury. This was his ticket out of jail and best not to screw it up.

"Good, now listen carefully," Fury began, his voice was soft and firm, "A situation has come up. Pack whatever you'll need and get to JFK. Head straight for the tarmac, hangar six. The guard will let you in once he sees you. Got it?"

The instructions were devoid of any indication of what Fury had in mind for Remy, save likely sending him out of state. Remy acknowledged his instructions and Fury hung up without another word. He wasted no time, and neither did Remy. In minutes he showered, packed and was on his way out the door. He made sure to pack his staff, his tools, and a couple of decks of cards. With a scarce amount of details, Remy could be headed into a warzone for all he knew.

On his way out of the institute, someone was waiting for him outside the front door. Logan of all people, having an early morning smoke. Remy was in rush he didn't even notice him, until the distinct sulfuric smell of cigar smoke wafted his way. He paused in his stride and turned to see Logan fixing him with a nasty glare. Logan did not utter a single word; he simply looked Remy up and down. He knew Remy had gotten his call from Fury. The duffel bag slung over his shoulder, the swiftness in which he came out of the front door, the early hour were the clues that confirmed it.

"Got a moment for a smoke, Cajun?" Logan asked.

Remy thought he must have been hearing things. Logan being social? There must have been some other motivation for his stopping him right then.

"Sure, mon ami," Remy answered. He retrieved one of his cigs, and lit it. There was a slight annoyance on his part, for he was saving this cig for later, and he didn't want to be late on the first favor for Fury. They smoked in silence as Logan kept eyeing Remy. It was awkward for him, the kind of awkward that one feels when you wonder if someone is going to gut you out of the blue.

"Fury?" Logan asked plainly. Remy coughed from inhaling too much smoke at his question, but he nodded none the less. Logan sighed, "You're in bed with one slippery son of a bitch." That was an understatement.

"Nothin' that I ain' used to," Remy answered coolly.

"So you think," Logan scoffed at Remy's confidence, "I don't know what kind of clients you've served in the past… frankly, I don't care. But you've never worked for anyone like Fury, kid."

"Speakin' from experience, homme?" Remy asked.

Whatever Logan's intention was, Remy hoped he'd get to the point soon. Admittedly though, it was a nice change of pace between them.

"Yeah. Let's just say I owed Fury a couple in the past and vice versa," Logan answered, "You sure you can do what's necessary when push comes to shove?"

"I don' follow," Remy cocked his head to the side.

Logan sniffed, "Yeah you do. Don't answer the question, bub. Just something you're going to have to think about now."

Logan's message didn't seem to be anywhere in sight.

"The cloak and dagger don't suit you, _homme._ Let's jus' be staight wit' each other," Remy urged.

"Fine. What are you going to do when people start asking you questions?"

"Pardon?"

"That bag tells me you're going to be gone for a couple days," Logan pointed out, "I suggest you start figuring out what you're going to do. People won't leave you alone until you tell them something. That leaves you two options."

"And dose are?"

Logan puffed his cigar a couple more times, "It's quite simple, Cajun. Tell the truth or lie."

People asking questions were something Remy was used to. When one leads a life outside the bounds of the law, they should expect people to ask what you do with you time. In Remy's case, he never had to worry about what and what not to say. The only people who asked questions were the Guild, the cops, and family. He only had to lie to one of those groups during his life as a part of the Thieves' Guild. With his life now, that whole dynamic was turned on its head. The people at the Xavier Institute weren't guild members, family, or cops. In Remy's mind, he wasn't sure how he would deal with them if it ever came to them asking questions. What would he tell Rogue if… rather when she got curious?

"I guess I'll jus' have t' cross dat bridge when I come to it, non?" Remy said. He dropped his cig to the ground and stamped it out. What he did next was crazy, even for Remy, "Do me a favor, homme? Don' tell Rogue anythin'."

Logan raised an eyebrow. Why the hell would the Cajun ask him to do that? Logan knew what Remy's life was like. Confidentiality unless told otherwise was a general rule. But why was Remy so concerned about what Rogue knew? Logan's fatherly instincts skittered around his wrists and knuckles. He forced them down, and gave Remy a shrug.

"What's there to tell?" Logan agreed discreetly. The fact was he didn't know anything about what Remy would really be doing, or where he was going. Even so, he knew what Remy meant. He'd keep his mouth shut. But he'd be bothered for the rest of the day trying to figure out why Remy gave a damn about what Rogue knew.

Remy took his leave and left the institute immediately after. He was running late, on the "first day" of all days.

Senator Voigt sat in a restaurant tailored for the social elite of America. He had just finished ordering an egg white breakfast scramble while waiting for Colonel Stryker to arrive for their breakfast meeting. He arrived promptly, right on time. Punctuality was a prominent trait of military-types.

"Glad you could peel yourself away from your offices long enough to meet me, Colonel," Voigt answered. Stryker took a seat and waved the waiter away before they could even ask if he wanted water. He checked his Rolex and straightened the tie that matched his custom-tailored suit. There wasn't a single wrinkle in it. Everything about Stryker screamed military right down to his crew-cut hair.

"As much as I care about your personal glee, let's get straight to the point, Senator," Stryker shot fiercely, "You can't appreciate how much time I have to dedicate to keeping our agenda on track… and on schedule."

Voigt sighed, "What do you want me to do, Stryker? The other PMCs have Washington's favor. You're competing against companies who's CEOs are on the President's speed dial. I'm going to need more money to get things rolling."

Stryker was growing impatient. He didn't want excuses; he wanted results, like any military commander does. Voigt was trying to milk him, the greedy bastard. Dealing with civilians was necessary, but the part of this job he hated the most, "Senator? I'm paying you, a great deal for that matter, to clear the red tape put up by Washington. Every day the mutants are gaining ground in accomplishing their own aims," Stryker's stern tone did not change, "I came to you because you have the ability to make the connections between those of us who share similar views on the mutants. You had a good start in rallying support for our cause, but you're slowing down."

"William, William, convincing more congressmen to join our cause isn't easy. It takes time, money, favors… you know the politics of Washington," Voigt argued, Stryker didn't bat an eye, "I'm working constantly to make sure your projects and operations get a go-ahead and stay behind the scenes. Your company isn't easy to clean up after."

Stryker's stern demeanor broke for a moment. He actually laughed. It was the kind of laugh that bred discomfort, "Really, Senator Voigt? Constantly? You and I both know that's not true."

"What are you-"

"I keep a close eye on what my money buys, Senator. What I paid you to do was to make sure my company gets the contracts it needs, secrecy, funds, and all at a speed you promised you could deliver at," Voigt was about to speak out but Styker held up an authoritative tone, "If you were 'constantly' making progress on our agenda then you wouldn't have had time for that retreat to Arizona to visit your little whore."

Voigt's eyes widened. Stryker was insane! Voigt only thought about what Stryker could possibly know about his private affairs.

"I make a point to know people's dirty little secrets, Senator. Need I say more?" Stryker's tone returned to the stiff authoritarian one he was used to. Voigt understood completely. Stryker was ready to destroy him if he proved to be useless, "I'll consider making another donation to your reelection campaign, after you get me that contract."

Voigt nodded, not certain what to say next. Stryker filled in the words for him, discreetly, "What I know about you Senator, is between you and me. But my company has been suffering from some leaks. Sometimes sensitive information goes public, clear?"

Stryker excused himself and left Voigt alone with his egg whites. Taking Stryker's offer to work together against the mutant menace wasn't turning out the way he planned. It was more like he was working _for_ Stryker. Now he was in too deep to back out. Every man is the architect of his own destruction.

Hangar Six at JFK international airport was about as nondescript as hangars get. It was private enough for people to do business if necessary, yet it hid right out in the open as to not draw unwanted attention to itself. Fury's decision to make this a meeting place was standard tradecraft.

Remy got access to the tarmac of JFK without a sweat. As soon as the guard at the gate saw his face, he let Remy right in. He must have been expecting Remy. Finding hangar six was even simpler. The hangar doors were closed enough to keep passersby from sneaking peek from a distance, but open wide enough so Remy could ride his bike right in. The exterior of the hangar was nothing like what waited for Remy inside. It was like coming into a different world entirely. It was a command center, state-of-the-art in every way. Remy estimated at least seventy S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and soldiers were running this place. It looked like Fury was setting up for war, which wouldn't have surprised Remy in the slightest.

"Lebeau, over here," Fury called to Remy from the central platform he was overseeing everything from, "Glad you could join us."

Remy didn't offer a remark. He just wanted to get on with whatever Fury had for him. Fury noticed this and smiled, he had him the way he wanted, "We got your first job together. I'll brief you during the flight."

Remy's eyes widened, he didn't like not knowing where they were headed. Being a thief, one usually wants to be in control of as many variables as possible. For the variables one can't control, know how to adapt a plan to them. A mystery destination and a mystery job stunk to high heaven from where Remy stood. Whatever Fury wanted done, he was going all the way with the plausible deniability.

Fury and Remy left the hangar and boarded a small charter plane with three other non-descript agents. As soon as they were situated, they wasted no time getting off the ground and into the air. When they were flying well above the clouds, Fury began to brief Remy. One of the agents that accompanied them handed Remy what looked like a small compact organizer.

"That right there contains all you need to know for the job," Fury began. His use of the word job told Remy that this was likely to be right up his alley.

Remy opened up the folder on the organizer and saw coordinates, blueprints for a building, security specs, schedules for security shifts, all the intel that he would need to pull a heist. He kept his tongue as he went through all the information, waiting for Fury to elaborate.

"This right here is the retreat for Senator Voigt," Remy's eye twitched at that name, he remembered it from the news the day before. Something about the timing of this seemed… sketchy. In his life as a thief, it was natural to always give things a second look. In a world of thieves, there is no such thing as coincidence, "Some of his recent activities have come under suspicion recently, but not enough to get the go ahead from the brass to officially pursue it. But it's my job to learn people's secrets. That's where you come in."

"Covert operation?" Remy inferred.

"You could say that, the only thing is that you are acting independently. That intel is the only support you get for this job. You get caught you're on your own. I can't risk having your work traced back to S.H.I.E.L.D," Fury explained. He was covering his bases like a commander was supposed to, "If we were allowed to spy on domestic citizens, I wouldn't need you for this at all."

This was definitely up Remy's alley. As he scrolled through all the data on the organizer, he did not once come across what his objective was. All he saw were marked locations inside the villa he was supposed to infiltrate, "So what's de job?"

Another one of the agents silently handed Remy a flash drive. It was about the size of small pack of gum.

"Data retrieval, there's a computer in the villa that I need you _acquire_ all the data from. Its location is marked on the organizer," Fury explained. Remy tightened his lips. That was going to take a lot of time depending on how much data he'd have to download, "As you can see, it is deep in the villa and the recent service logs of the villa lead us to believe that a lot of security has been recently installed. You need to plug the flash drive in and we'll take care of the rest.

"Ya want to tell moi specifically what data you want, I get dis done rapide," Remy slyly smiled, hoping to get some indication of what Fury really had in store for him.

"Nice try, Mr. Lebeau," Fury chuckled, "You let those agents in hangar six worry about what to look for. That clear enough for you or should I repeat it slower?"

Remy frowned, "I get it."

He looked over the intel again, planning what he could. Remy would need to case the villa with his own two eyes before finalizing his plan. The photos in the organizer were good for giving Remy an idea what he would be up against, but there are some things in gathering intelligence that can only be done by seeing it with the naked eye. These kinds of things could be habits of the security, best entry points at certain parts of the day, the intervals and speed at which cameras rotate, and a laundry list of other useful information that can make or break a heist.

For a villa with information that S.H.I.E.L.D. would be interested in, Remy would have thought that there would be more security if there was something really sensitive, not just two handfuls of guards. The visible presence of security serves two purposes. One is to deter, and the other is to actually protect something valuable and/or dangerous. The unfortunate side-effect of this is that it can draw a lot of unwanted attention. Something that the villa owner must have wanted to avoid.

From what Remy saw of the villa, the small security detail was another tell-tale of what security may be like on the inside of the compound. Fury's intel was good. It indicated video-surveillance and the locations of all the cameras. Remy looked was able to pick out a couple blind spots. Tech like that could be overcome easily. What Remy was really worried about was the security on the private computer. This villa was in the middle of nowhere, chances were it had a closed computer network. Fury would have had one of his men hack it if it was otherwise. A closed network usually equals high software security, the only reason for having this is to keep prying eyes out electronically. Remy knew basic hacking, but if someone can afford a villa they could buy the best computer security.

"How do you plan on gettin' past de security on de computer, Fury?" Remy asked. Fury raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

"Please, Mr. Lebeau," Fury glared at Remy, "I got that covered. Who do you think you're working for?"

_A bit of a creep if you ask moi,_ Remy thought to himself. He kept himself from trying to get any more out of Fury. The briefing continued for the rest of the flight. A lot of what Fury told Remy was unnecessary or something he had already figured out for himself. Fury continuously stressed making sure that this operation could not be traced back to S.H.I.E.L.D. as if it were a terminal illness contracted by being sloppy.

A couple hours later, they landed at a military base. It was in the middle of the American desert. Remy removed his jacket as soon as he stepped off the plane. It was the middle of the day and the sun was burning hot. Remy still had no idea where exactly they were. Fury likely wanted it that way. As the left the plane Fury handed Remy a small yellow envelope, "Open this when you get to the motel room. The villa is a couple miles north of town. I'll be in touch."

_A couple hours later_

Remy sat in his motel room going over the intel for the fifth time. He was trying to keep his mind off of the puzzling, possibly upsetting, contents of the envelope. When Remy opened it the first thing to fall out was a small earpiece taped to a not that said, "Put this on at 20:00." That was understandable, Fury wanted to keep in contact with Remy to make sure that the heist went well. What didn't make sense was the twenty grand in cash that accompanied it. Either Fury was going all the way with trying to make Remy's heist look authentic, or this was just another way for him to screw with Remy's mind. Fury was successful in the latter at least.

Uncertain of what to do with the money, Remy simply stashed it inside the vent. He needed it out of sight so he could concentrate on the job. Before he came to the motel, he took a quick trip to the villa through the heat and the dry wind and cased it from as far as his binoculars would let him. He took notes on the camera intervals and blind spots he picked out, and on all other relevant details for the heist that night. He looked up in the sky and guessed it was going to be a clear night. Moonlight could make sneaking in a difficulty, but it was manageable.

Back in his motel, he prepared all his equipment. He practiced assembling and disassembling it quickly. Speed and efficiency was paramount for this job. It got his mind off of the enigmatic 20K. He heard his cell phone vibrate on the desk in his room. The caller I.D. read "Rogue".

"Merde," Remy cursed out loud. He wanted to answer his phone so bad, but how was he going to explain being who knows where doing a job? Logan warned him; people were going to get curious. After last night, Remy shouldn't have been surprised Rogue would be the first to poke around. At the same time though, he was glad she was calling. Perhaps talking would help ease the anxiety that he always felt before a job. He held the phone in his hand, letting it ring. He hadn't even thought of what he would tell her when she asked him about what he was up to.

_Merde, what now?_ he thought to himself. Mentally kicking himself, Remy let the call go to voice mail. This was going to bite him in the ass, he just knew it.

His phone rang again, again it was Rogue. Remy tossed his phone back onto the desk and went outside for a smoke. He began to think of the best way to go about explaining to Rogue why he left the institute and didn't pick up his cell phone. Chances are he'd have to calm Rogue down first when he saw her next then worry about explaining why he disappeared for a good 24 hours. Yeah, that was going to be real fun.

When eight p.m. rolled around, Remy did as he was ordered and put on the earpiece he received. "Gambit, this is mission control, do you copy? Respond if you copy, over,"

Remy heard Fury chime in, right on time too, "Respond if you copy, over."

"I copy, Monsieur Fury," Remy pressed the earpiece deep into his ear, making sure it was secure.

"Good, I'll be keeping an eye on you from here on out. You have about ten hours to work in the dark. I suggest you get going," Fury urged Remy.

"Gladly, jus' one thing Fury."

"Yes?"

"Please keep your mouth shut while I work, I don' need you distractin' moi," Remy hissed over his comlink.

"Fair enough, but don't push it, Gambit. Just remember who's calling the shots," Fury conceded and left Remy in silence.

Did a final check on his equipment a couple hours later and made sure he had all tightly secured in his trench coat. He packed one of his decks of cards for safe measure and now felt ready. He put the do not disturb sign on his door knob, snuck out the back of his motel room, and disappeared into the cold night for a trek through the cool desert.

About a half-hour later, Remy could see the villa with his naked eyes. He laid prone behind the crest of a dune scoping out the villa, doing a mental check in his mind to see if his plan would still work. The brick and iron fence surrounding the villa had cameras about every twelve feet and rotated just short of 180 degrees. They moved so slow and at uncomplimentary intervals. A blind spot of a couple seconds was all Remy needed to get over the gate.

Remy slowly made his way closer to the perimeter of the villa, making sure to stay out of the visibility range of the cameras. He waited patiently for his opening and prepared to get past the first obstacle between him and his target.

He extended his staff, barely hearing the soft sound of metal gliding against metal. Only a couple more seconds and he would have his opportunity. Remy watched the pair of cameras and as soon as allowed an opening, he took it. Both were staring away from each other now, it was now or never.

Remy sprinted across the sand toward the fence with his staff pointed in front of him. When he was close enough he stabbed his staff into the ground and vaulted himself over the fence. He landed on the other side of the fence and rolled to quiet his landing. As soon as he recovered he did a quick scan of his surroundings. He was alone. That was the easy part. Remy knew though that a heist never stays that simple, no matter how much planning goes into it.

"Gambit?" Fury patched in, much to Remy's frustration, "Satellite imaging shows two guards closing in on your position, opposite directions."

Remy forced down his cursing reflex and quickly looked around for the best way to avoid detection. There was no decent cover where he was and no discreet entry point. He looked to his left and right and saw a flashlight bouncing around in the darkness on either side. There was only one way he could go. Remy quickly stashed his staff inside of his jacket and retrieved his portable zip line. He shot one end up into the side of the villa and scaled his way up the wall, safely out of sight. The two guards passed by each other without incident. As far as they were concerned, it was just another drab night on the job.

As soon as he was certain they were out of sight, Remy reevaluated his current status. There was a window ten feet to his right that he could easily get through. He fastened his belt to the zip line and shot the other end into the window sill. Very carefully, he slid along the tight rope until he reached his destination. He was still undetected and at his entry point.

He scanned the inside of the villa with his eyes quickly and made his move. With a light touch of his fingers he charged the glass window just enough so it would vanish quietly into the night. Remy retrieved a small canister from his jacket and sprayed a vapor around the window to see if there were any infrared lasers. Clear. He sprayed the floor immediately inside afterward. Clear. He was in.

Remy retrieved the organizer Fury gave him and brought up the villa blueprints. So far, so good. He was right above the computer he needed to get to. Remy moved forward, creeping through the darkness. His eyes were fully adjusted to the dark to a point he could see the little imperfections in the hardwood floors. He kept spraying his path for possible surprise triplines. Reminding himself to do this was another trick of the trade. During an operation, if things are going smoothly for an extended period of time people will relax a too much. This leads to sloppiness, enough said.

Just as Remy found the stairway that would take him downstairs, he heard a creak in one of the steps. Someone was coming up. Remy peeked over the drywall banister and saw an exhausted guard slowly heaving himself up the stairs. The way the villa was designed made the only direction for him to patrol a direction Remy was in.

_Merde_, Remy thought, he couldn't backtrack, it would only delay him getting discovered. The guard would surely come across the window Remy had disintegrated the glass of. Something like that was hard to miss, even for a drowsy guard. Remy couldn't believe he made such an amateur mistake like that. A mistake like that could cost him the entire heist. There was only one way to deal with this to ensure that the rest of the villa remained in the dark about Remy's presence.

The guard reached the top of the stairs after a couple more seconds. This shift for him was worker hell: 20 hours guarding a villa that the owner only visited a couple months out of the year, if not less. If it weren't for the good pay, he probably would have ditched this place for something more reasonable for a sleep schedule. The guard rubbed his eyes. As he rounded the corner of the hallway he yawned and the next thing he knew, he felt really woozy. It was a good yawn; a wide-mouthed inhalation that tells one that sleep has nearly caught them. The kind that causes a person's hearing to fade for just a split second. This was more than that though. After the guard yawned he felt all his joints begin to give out. Before he even knew what hit him, he was out like all the lights in the villa.

Remy caught the guards falling body before it could fully crash against the ground. He dragged him to a nearby couch and laid him on it. If Remy was lucky, the guard would believe he just fell asleep on the couch. Given how tired he was already, Remy doubted the guard was in a state to remember he was just gassed. Remy kissed the handy toy and got back on track with the operation.

Reaching the office went without further incident. It was locked from the outside. Nothing Remy's touch couldn't handle. He gave the door's lock a slight charge and listened carefully. There was a series of soft clicks, telling Remy that all the pins in the lock had aligned the way he needed. Now there was nothing between him and the computer.

The office was old-fashioned Americana; high shelves stocked with dusty encyclopedias, law text books, and political science books. Landscape artwork hung from the wall area not taken up by books, nothing particular was remarkable about the paintings; they were simply decoration. The desk had a few old antiques, quarantined inside glass cases to slow the wear of time. Remy sprayed again for laser tripwires as he crept toward the computer. It would be tragic to come this close only to alert the security because a moment's lapse in thought.

Remy reached the computer without incident. He dug the flash drive out of his jacket quickly and jammed it into the first USB port he found. The computer turned on with a low hum, and Remy let the flash drive do its thing. He switched off the monitor for safe measure too; he didn't want some guard to see the light that would no doubt emanate from the crack the bottom of the office door.

"Good evening, Senator Voigt," an automated voice from the computer said. Remy remembered hearing that name from a news report the night before. Was Fury was going after people who were anti-mutant? Remy's interest was caught right then. It seemed like a coincidence that he was stealing files from a senator the day after he revealed his position on mutants. S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't take an interest unless they thought he posed a threat. Guess mutants weren't so alone in dealing with their problems after all. A newspaper was on their side, and now a seemingly a government agency?

"Excellent Lebeau, the data collection is in progress. Should be finished in about five minutes," Fury chimed in. Remy took a deep breath. If anything this was the most anxious part of the job, loading up the target. Like many high-profile items worth stealing, the hard drive Remy was stealing was in a one way in, one way out location. Arguably, Remy was the most vulnerable in this position because his hand is right in the cookie jar, so to speak.

"Hmm, I don't remember hearing that earlier," a voice said from outside the room. The noise form the computer…

_MERDE, MERDE, MERDE,_ Remy's heart jumped out of his chest. That guard had good hearing. One way in, one way out.

Remy ran quickly and quietly to the office door and hid next to it so he would be out of sight when the guard entered. He pressed himself against the wall tightly as the doorknob began to turn. The door slowly crept open. Remy did not move a muscle as watched but made sure to keep his hand close to his staff. The guard entered the office, gun drawn. He walked slowly across the room, focused on the computer. He hadn't called for backup yet, but he would as soon as he saw the flash drive in the computer. Remy couldn't gas this one; he already used up his supply on the last guard.

When the guard had his back to Remy, Remy made his move. He carefully shadowed the guard, waiting for the best moment to strike. His first concern was the gun. If that went off… he didn't want to think about that. Eliminating that was first and foremost.

The guard reached up to touch his earpiece. Remy struck like a rattlesnake while the man had only one hand on his gun. He extended his staff and smacked the gun with one end, quickly slapping the same end against the guard's temple. The guard stumbled allowing Remy to get behind him once again. Remy wrenched his arms around the guard's neck and began to apply pressure. The guard struggled for a couple seconds before going limp. He was down for the count and would wake up with one hell of a headache. The good news was the guard didn't see Remy's face. The bad news was Remy's cover would be blown as soon as the guard woke up.

"Alright, Lebeau. Transfer complete, get out of there," Fury ordered. Remy made no argument. He quickly retrieved the flash drive and shut down the computer. Things were a little more complicated now. It wasn't the getting out that was a problem. It was covering up what he was really here for. This wasn't a new situation for Remy. Lucky for him, he already had the cover-up in the same room. There was an antique revolver in a glass case on the desk. Chances are it would fetch a fine price on the black market. Stealing this would hide the real theft.

Remy grabbed the glass case and made his way back out of the villa the way he came. By the time he was a good fifty feet from the villa the silent alarms in the villa were going off. The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance, but Remy wasn't worried. He ditched the antique revolver in the surrounding desert and tore off in the other direction. He had to circle around the small town for a while before sneaking back into his motel room. He could finally breathe normally now that he was "safe". All in all the job went better than he expected it would. It wasn't the cleanest getaway, but no one got a look at him.

When he had himself recollected he noticed a note slid under the door. It read: rendezvous back at the airport at 12:00 hours. Don't be late.

That gave Remy about six hours of sleep if he was lucky. He checked his cell phone and found it had 13 missed calls, all from Rogue. He sighed deeply, not looking forward to how he was going to deal with her when he got back to Bayville. Even with the job out of the way, there was a lot on Remy's mind: Rogue, her reaction when he returned, Rogue, the twenty grand still stashed in the vent, Rogue…

"One thing at a time, homme," Remy said to himself. He set the alarm on his cell phone and drifted into a deep sleep.

**A/N: Again sorry this took so long, yeah there wasn't much Romy/Rogue interaction this time, but trust me there will be a healthy dose in the next chapter.**

**Next chapter: Remy has to make an important decision regarding his work for Fury and his friendship with Rogue. Tell the truth, or compromise the secrecy of his work.**


	6. Isolation

I do not own X-Men: Evolution

Chapter 6: Isolation

On the day Remy was called away, questions continued to nip at Rogue's thoughts. Sure as hell didn't help on during that math quiz she had at school. She had not idea how she was supposed to focus on Pre-Calculus when people were being tightlipped about where Remy was. Rogue could only deduce it had something to do with his "community service". That was an interesting thought; picturing Remy picking up trash in the park or working at a soup kitchen was entertaining yet uncanny to Rogue. The good-to-do appearance didn't fit Remy at all. Somehow the scoundrel character that was Remy was too fitting for anything else to seem right. Quite possibly it made him less-

_Damn it Rogue, at least try to concentrate on your quiz. You don't want to have to explain why ya didn' pass a stupid quiz,_ she thought to herself.

After school got out Rogue didn't bother waiting for anyone else to walk home with. Logan said to ask him about Remy later. When she got back to the mansion she immediately began looking around for Logan. Like most days, he was working out in the gym, practicing his jabs on a punching bag. The way Logan threw a punch was professional, very honed. The way the punching bag shook from a single punch of his was an ode to the years Logan had behind his attack. If power wasn't impressive enough, the speed at which Logan could punch made even the most agile boxer look amateur.

Logan was in the zone when he saw Rogue entering the room. He knew from that morning what she was doing there. He gave her a nod and dried himself off before going over to talk with her. There wasn't much to talk about in all actuality; Remy had him promise to stay tight-lipped. He was still curious as to why Remy cared about what Rogue knew.

"How was school, Rogue?" Logan asked, he motioned for Rogue to take a seat next him on the bench.

"Fahne. It was a little hard to concentrate today," Rogue answered. She was already gearing the conversation her way, "You know why. Where's Remy?"

"As much as I'd like to I can't tell you, kid," Logan sighed. Rogue's jaw dropped slightly. She wasn't happy with that answer. All day she waited to ask and now Logan won't tell her a damn thing?

"Ya gotta be kiddin' meh," Rogue stood up, annoyed, "Ya couldn't tell meh that this mornin'?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure I should have said anything at all," Logan said, the conversation was young but already taking a turn for the worst, "Forget about for now, Stripes. I'm sure Gumbo will tell you all you want to know when he gets back."

Logan tried to leave but Rogue stepped in front of him before he could get past, "Is it somethin' to do with his community service?"

"Rogue, I can't say anything," Logan said, a little more forcefully, "Even though the Cajun's an ass, a promise is a promise."

Rogue put two and two together, realizing the Remy must have told Logan to keep quiet about what he was up to. She knew it had something to do with his community service. But what kind of community service requires so much secrecy?

"Mind telling me why ya care so much about where Gumbo is, Stripes?" Logan asked. It was a little too direct of a question. Rogue rolled her eyes and stormed off. Logan knew he must have touched nerve or something, and being Logan he assumed the worst, "Damn Cajun." He'd be keeping a closer eye on those two from then on out. Call it fatherly intuition.

Rogue made her way back up to her room. As she passed by people in the halls of the mansion they gave her a wide berth. They could tell she was frustrated about something. Who wouldn't be frustrated by having to wait an entire school day to get some answers only to find people weren't so keen on giving them.

Once she was back in her room she immediately dialed Remy's cell phone. It rang, but she only got his voice mail. She tried him again, still nothing.

_Well, maybeh he's busy with his community service or whatever the hell he's doin',_ Rogue thought bitterly. Once he saw that she called he'd surely call her back first thing. Last night he said he'd be there. But she technically did not have any troubles to talk about, just curiosity to indulge. She let it slide for the time being. She had homework to do anyway.

Rogue left her room to head to the mansion's library. As she stepped out Kitty nearly bumped into her. Rogue jumped but Kitty phased through her without incident.

"S-sorry, Rogue," Kitty sobbed not turning to face Rogue as she spoke. Rogue saw her friend covering her face as she walked away and heard more sobs. Despite her own frustrations, Rogue felt compelled to see if she was alright. She remembered Kitty was having some relationship woes. It seemed that they hadn't gotten much better, worse in fact.

Rogue found Kitty in her room crying into her purple stuffed dragon. She knocked lightly, letting Kitty know she was there.

"Hey sug, you okay?" Rogue asked, taking a seat next to Kitty on her bed. In hindsight, Rogue thought that was a stupid question. It was apparently obvious Kitty wasn't. She only continued to sob, "What's wrong Kitty?"

Rogue placed a hand on Kitty's back and started to rub it tenderly. Whatever it was, it seemed Kitty just needed to cry. Rogue, in spite of her powers and her own discomfort, drew Kitty in for a hug. Her friend needed someone right then. If it meant Rogue had to put up with a little discomfort of her own, then so be it. After about five minutes of comforting Kitty, she finally spoke up.

"I… Lance and I, we broke up," she sobbed into Rogue's shoulder.

"Oh, Kitty, Ah'm sorry," Rogue cooed, admittedly, she never liked Lance, but at the same time she wanted Kitty to be happy. There wasn't much else to say aside from what was already, "Ya wanna talk about it?"

Kitty explained that they had been fighting off and on for a couple weeks now. It started with her trying to convince Lance to go to college before running off to take Fury up on his offer to join SHIELD. It wasn't long before it boiled over into other aspects of life for the both of them. Kitty just wanted Lance to think about what would be best for him in the long-run. Somewhere down the line he got it into his head that he was never going to be good enough for her; it seemed as if she was trying to change him into something he was not. In fact that was the basis for his reasons of wanting to break it off. Kitty started developing her own reasons for wanting to break it off as well, but she didn't. All relationships go through rough patches, and she believed that these last couple weeks were one of those. That was wrong.

That day, after school, she and Lance had a big fight. Everything that they had bottled up over the last couple weeks when not fighting came out and some things were said. It may have been heat of the moment, but they were true nevertheless. And here Kitty was now, sobbing into Rogue's shoulder.

"I… I thought we would get passed it. But he's just so…" Kitty trailed off, "The worst part, I thought he was good enough, I just… I just w-wanted him to know there was so much he could do…"

"Listen Kit, he blew it. If he isn't able ta see you were just tryin' to help him then he doesn't deserve ya," Rogue said. That sentiment didn't seem to help, but Rogue had something in mind, "Say, how about we snag that carton of ice cream from the fridge, help ya get your mind off him for a bit. Whadya say?"

That had a more desirable effect.

Rogue continued to console Kitty for another couple hours, not caring for her homework in the slightest. She was glad Remy didn't choose to call during that time, but disappointed as well. When Kitty had calmed down enough, Rogue left her to her own devices, promising to come back in a little while. She checked her phone and saw no calls from Remy. She was sure he would have gotten her calls by then. Was he avoiding them?

Rogue tried him a couple more times. Perhaps is she called enough he'd pick up just to get her to stop calling. After four more calls she called it quits for the time being. She kept herself occupied as she waited for Remy to call. Rogue did her homework and checked on Kitty periodically. But when all was said and done, there still was no call back. This was definitely like Remy. She knew he could take care of himself, but perhaps he was in trouble. When he didn't return for the rest of the day, Rogue's worry only increased. Had Remy lied to her about having community service? No, he must have learned from the last time he did that. Telling half-truths though, that was something she knew Remy was a master at.

Rogue stayed up late into the night, calling with the hopes of finally finding out where Remy was. Each time only further disappointed as she got the voicemail. He wasn't there like he said he would be.

_Rogue? Can you please come to the living room?_ Xavier's voice echoed in Rogue's ears. Great, she was in trouble for being up past lights out.

Once at the living room she found Xavier invested in a book. He immediately focused on her once she was there.

"Good evening, Rogue. How is Kitty doing with her current uh… hardship?" Xavier asked.

"She'll be fine. She just needs time," Rogue answered. Perhaps she wasn't in trouble.

"And how about yourself?" Xavier asked. The question caught Rogue off-guard.

"Ah don't quite follow, professor," Rogue said. The context of the question seemed irrelevant to her.

"I sensed a lot of anxiety flowing from your room. I assume it's keeping you from sleeping," Xavier explained. Secrets were hard to keep in a place like this, as Rogue was being reminded. She didn't have to confirm Xavier's hypothesis either as he knew already. "Is there anything that I could perhaps put at ease in your mind?"

Rogue thought about it for a second, and figured it couldn't hurt to try, "Ah've just been wonderin' where Remy is. He's been gone all day and…well…"

Rogue stumbled over what she should say. She knew full well what was said between her and the professor would remain confidential unless she said otherwise, but she wasn't sure how to put it. She scolded herself in her mind, they were just friends. As she did with Kitty, she could be concerned about Remy if she wanted to be. That was normal for friends.

"It's quite alright for you to be worried about Remy," Xavier said, drumming his fingers on his wheelchair, "If you don't mind me asking, how much has he said to you about his situation?"

"He told meh he got caught stealin' and now he's payin' some debt to society now," Rogue answered. Xavier hummed.

"Did he mention any specifics?" Xavier asked. Something he had never thought about before all of a sudden struck him.

"No, Ah didn't want ta pry. Ah think he might tell me eventually," Rogue answered optimistically.

"When did he tell you this?" Xavier continued his line of questioning.

"Last night. Ah couldn't sleep, neither could he so we ended up talkin' for a good whahle," Rogue answered. Xavier's questions were somewhat peculiar, "Is this goin' somewhere professor?"

"Oh no, just my own curiosity," Xavier said. That was a lie, but necessary, "What did you two talk about?"

The questions were kind of invasive in Rogue's opinion, but she knew the professor meant well, "Personal stuff. It kahnd of helped meh sleep now that Ah think about it."

"I see. Well, I can assure you that you don't need to worry too much about Remy," Xavier said, "It's nice to see you're building a rapport with him. Most newcomers tend to feel alienated when the first arrive. I'm sure if you ask him when he comes back, he'll tell you why he left. If he doesn't then he probably just needs more time. Trust is a funny thing, as we both know."

Rogue nodded. That wasn't a new lesson for her, or for Xavier.

"Off to bed with you," Xavier dismissed Rogue. She took his words to heart, and tried to calm her mind as she went back to bed.

Back in the living room, Xavier was lost in thought. This knowledge of Rogue and Remy's budding friendship and mutual trust was something he hadn't thought about when dealing with Rogue's powers. It was too early to tell, but perhaps their friendship could bear unexpected fruit. There were two outstanding issues though: how strong that trust was. Xavier stopped himself from travelling too far down that line of thought. He would have to see how those two got along before developing this theory any further.

* * *

Remy made his way back to the airport he parted ways with Fury at. He was eager to get back to the mansion and to ask Fury about the 20k. He debated whether or not to let Rogue know he was on his way back. A surprise was probably the last thing she was going to want. He couldn't talk with her just yet so he settled with a text message.

'I'm on my way home chéri' he sent. He got a message back almost immediately. He never understood how people texted that fast.

'Where the hell have you been? Why didn't you return my calls?' there was the million dollar question and Remy was going to have to make her wait. There are some conversations that should never be done electronically. Period.

'Not over the phone. I'll tell you when see you Rogue. Promise' he sent back. He cursed, thinking he should have omitted that last phrase. Too late now. Then again, what was the harm?

He reached the hangar Fury told him to report to, eager to get in the air. He boarded the plane and sat across from Fury like he did the on the way there. His questions were going to have to wait though since Fury was on the phone.

"Yes, the deal still stands," Fury said. Remy almost thought he was talking to him, "Yes…You have my word, she'll be safe… trust me, a single hair on her is harmed and I'll show the mafiosos so many kinds of hell that they'll think I'm the devil himself… it's just a metaphor… I've dealt with these people before… that can be arranged… sure… no, I'm sure… right… yes, Ms. Romanova will meet you and fill you in… good night."

"Another 'asset'?" Remy asked slyly.

"Mr. Lebeau, the more you know the longer I'll have to keep you. Is that what you want? I didn't think so," Fury said patronizingly.

"You're not goin' to tell moi de deal with dat info I downloaded either?"

"Need-to-know basis, let's keep it that way Mr. Lebeau."

"Can I at least know why you gave moi twenty grand?" Remy asked, for his peace of mind if nothing else.

"Sure. I won't lie, Gambit. I was impressed with how well you've kept cool," Fury answered. That wasn't what Remy expected, from Fury especially.

"Mon Dieu, ya makin' me blush," Remy said sarcastically.

"Don't get hot for me, Gambit, that's not the only reason," Fury said, Remy ceased his light laughter, "Also, I needed to make it look like the information you hijacked for us was found through a C.I."

"Coverin' your tracks, non?" Remy summarized.

"That's standard tradecraft, Mr. Lebeau," Fury said frankly. Remy looked at the money in his hands and back at Fury. What he did next was surprising for the both of them

Without warning, Remy threw the 20K against Fury's chest, "Keep de money."

"Excuse me?" Fury asked, slightly agitated.

"I don' need you to hold anythin' over my head dat you ain' already," Remy said venomously. Fury began to laugh quietly, "I jus' want ma vie back as soon as possible."

"I don't know if you're smarter than you look or if you're just full of surprises, Mr. Lebeau," Fury chuckled, "Who'd of thought a thief like yourself would turn down twenty grand just like that."

"You don' know us guild types dat well den," Remy shot back.

"You're right. Probably because they don't get caught so much," Fury said nonchalantly. He knew it would strike a nerve though. Remy shot him a glare that would sever a bullet in two. He knew Fury was just pushing his buttons. It was as if the man was testing him or something. Remy kept it together, despite the ass Fury was being right then.

Remy forced a smile, not wanting to give Fury any more ammo, "Jus' take me home."

"Ah, Mr. Lebeau, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Fury said sarcastically.

"Whatever helps ya sleep at night," Remy spat back. He seriously hoped Fury dozed off during the flight. Six hours of this banter would drive him insane by the time he got home.

The sooner he got home the sooner he'd be able to see Rogue. He still wasn't looking forward to whatever greeting awaited him, but it was Rogue. He could handle that fiery spirit.

Home? Remy didn't think much of his use of the word. It must have been an accident that he used it or something.

* * *

It was late night by the time Remy returned to the Xavier Institute. He had been in New York State for the last couple hours now. But a debriefing from a couple of agents kept him tied up for a couple hours. Remy entered the grounds as quietly as he could, going as far as to walk his motorcycle into the garage to avoid attention. He didn't want to announce his return too soon, knowing he'd be torn apart by the students' questions like a pack of ravening wolves in the morning once they were all awake

He entered the garage and parked his bike. Out of the corner of his eye Remy saw Logan getting ready to go out on his own bike, likely to hit one of the few watering holes in Bayville. Logan saw Remy and gave him a nod and a grunt.

"Miss me?" Remy asked jokingly, Logan shook his head. He was eyeing Remy more than he usually did; something Remy found entertaining.

"Hope ya thought about what I told you, Gumbo," came Logan's less than warm greeting. Remy nodded, coming back to his senses.

"Trust me, I still am," Remy replied, he still had no idea how he was going to go about telling Rogue what he was up to. This wasn't some girl he was charming; not that he could if he wanted to (Rogue knew about his hypnotic ability ever since she absorbed him). Just a friend he wanted to be straight with, if he could. Remy just hoped all the improvisation he had done over the years while thieving would carry over into explaining things to Rogue. Their conversation from a couple nights ago told him he needed to trust her more, so perhaps this was the next step towards that.

Remy sighed and wished Logan farewell on his drinking expedition. There was nothing more for the two of them to say to each other. They both knew where they stood with one another. As such, Logan disposed of the threats for the time being while Remy would hold the wise-cracks.

Inside most of the lights were off in the mansion. Remy's eyes adjusted quickly to the dark as he made his way up the stairs. Once he reached the top he stood on the spot debating something. Although he could get in trouble for it, he wanted to visit Rogue and get the explanations out of the way and behind him. If anything she deserved to have her questions answered ASAP, considering Remy ducked all thirteen of her calls the day before. On that note, Remy made his way toward her room.

When he reached it, Remy found her door slightly open. All the better for him; Remy nudged the door open a tad more than it was already and looked in on Rogue. The sight was picturesque. She was laid peacefully on her back, facing toward the door, a book rested next to her shoulder. The serenity of her face was enough to keep Remy from disturbing her. He scolded himself for looking in on her without her permission and averted his eyes. In all honesty it wasn't like there was anything that he wasn't supposed to see, but that didn't stop him from hearing what Tante Mattie would say if she saw him right then.

_Guess it'll have t' wait 'til mornin',_ Remy slowly backed out of the doorway and closed it to where it was when he found it. He accidently backed into his duffel bag which he had left on the ground behind him when he decided to look in on Rogue. The sound wasn't particularly loud, but it caused Remy to tense up for a second. He just hoped he didn't wake Rogue. Not wanting to wait around to find out he took a deep breath, recollected his belongings, and headed back toward his room.

His heart was beating quickly for reasons Remy couldn't begin to comprehend. He was tenser than he thought he could be in a time like this. He was back at the mansion, exhausted, and he hadn't had a smoke all day. Yes, that must have been why he was all jittery and sluggish at the same time. A smoke out on the balcony sounded good to Remy; finally a chance to collect his thoughts.

Those were only the reasons Remy consciously knew about.

Rogue was about to fall into sleep when she thought she heard a noise outside of her door. It wasn't her mind playing tricks on her. She wasn't that tired yet. No, someone must have been at her door. Rogue rose from her bed and peeked outside of her door. She looked down the hallway and saw a tall silhouette. Even through the dark and exhaustion she felt, she knew that trench coat. Remy was back.

She put two and two together in a matter of seconds and realized that it had to be him who was at her door. That must have meant he was going to make good on his promise. After realizing what time it was, Rogue figured Remy must have figured it would have been better to wait until morning. Well she was up now and after having to wait for two days to get the answers to her questions, it seemed like a good time to get them.

Rogue shadowed Remy with skill that would have made him proud. His door was slightly ajar when she finally reached it. Even quieter now, she snuck over to it and peeked through the opening. Remy tossed his jacket on a chair in the corner of his room and sat at the foot of his bed. His back was to Rogue as she watched him through the small opening she had. Rogue considered surprising him but something stopped her. Seeing him when he thought he was alone was a rare opportunity. It was a chance to get a glimpse at the real Remy.

Remy massaged his temples out of exhaustion. From what Rogue saw, he was tense, really tense. This was not the Remy she knew. He withdrew a cigarette from his pocket and went out onto the balcony, lighting up as soon as he could. He paced for a little bit before leaning against the railing. Rogue saw his expression and saw stress, exhaustion, and uncertainty. Now the questions buzzing in Rogue's ears screamed to be satisfied, but something about the way Remy was composed at the moment made it seem like terrible timing.

_Ah guess waitin' 'til mornin' wouldn't hurt much. God, he looks tired,_ Rogue sighed, not realizing that he could probably hear. His head jerked in her direction and she stumbled back from the door.

"Rogue?"

_Shit! He heard,_ Rogue cursed in her mind. Worse, he thought he saw her.

Rogue got away from there as fast as she could, not wanting to explain why she was there. By the time Remy was in the hallway outside of his room, she was long gone.

_I swear she was dere… maybe ya jus' need sleep Remy,_ he thought to himself. He yawned and rubbed his eyes as if it that thought was a queue to the rest of his body to start slowing down. Remy made his way back to his bed and collapsed without changing out of his jumpsuit.

* * *

Rogue's alarm clock blared as she reached around from her comfortable position to turn it off. It was the weekend and of course she spaced on turning the damn thing off for it. By the time she finally hit the snooze button her mind was too awake to slip back into a partial sleep. She ended up raising herself out of bed to get an early start on the day. Maybe with a decent start she would be in better shape for Logan's afternoon training session. And there was Remy to deal with as well.

Before heading down to the kitchen, Rogue decided to see if Remy was up yet. Her curiosity was a something of an energy boost on its own. She knocked on his door gingerly and immediately heard some commotion inside.

"Un moment, s'il vous plait," a muffled voice answered. Remy opened the door and saw his wake-up call.

They both knew why she was there, but the only word Rogue could meagerly muster was, "Hey."

Remy's jaw opened and closed as if he was about to say something. All he could manage mirrored Rogue, "Hey, Chère."

Remy opened his door all the way to let her in. He led her out to the balcony, nervously waiting to get her questions out of the way. In all honesty, he wasn't sure how she would react. It's not everyday that a person discovers that their friend is working for a government agency.

"When did ya get back?" Rogue asked. It was as good a starting point as any, seeing how Remy wasn't about to initiate a conversation.

"'bout midnight," he answered plainly. The anticipation was killing him, he wanted to get it out in the open already. He took a cig from his pocket and lit up. His nerves calmed a bit allowing him to get a grip on things, "So, dose questions you had fo' me."

Rogue leaned against the railing deciding where to begin. She took a deep-breath as she was uncertain what to expect. She met Remy's eyes with a face that conveyed what looked like hurt, "Why didn't ya call meh Remy?"

At that point Remy couldn't have cared less for what was classified. Fury never told him he couldn't talk about his work anyway. However, the nature of the work was a whole different animal to take in. This was about trust between friends as he had reminded himself over and over again.

"Try not to freak Rogue, I was doing a job," confession had not hit Remy so hard since the time he told his reverend that he stole his Père's car for a joyride when he was fourteen. This hit even harder in fact. Rogue rounded on Remy immediately.

"Damn it, Remy! What are you thinkin'? Ah thought you were makin' up for crap lahke that? Isn't that why you're here?" Rogue scolded him before he could get any other words out. Remy tried to place his hands on her arms to calm her down, "Don't touch meh!"

"Rogue…"

"Are you tryin' ta get thrown in jail?" Rogue continued to sputter at him, ignoring his attempts to get a word in, "Ah thought you left all that behahnd. Do you care about getting' a second chance at all?"

"Rogue!" Remy placed his hands gently on her arms where clothed. The authoritative tone he took silenced her too, "Could you give me a sec to explain? I don' want you gettin' de wrong idea."

Rogue shook Remy's hands off again. Even this early in the morning she was a fiery one. The fury in her face kind of scared Remy, but he maintained his poker face. After a couple of seconds, she conceded and let Remy have a word.

"I wasn' lyin' to ya about de 'community service'," Remy continued, Rogue listened carefully and cautiously. She had him in her mind before; she knew his tell-tales when she saw them. So far she knew he wasn't bluffing. It was beginning to intrigue her, but she didn't let that come across in her own expression, "You may want to sit down."

Remy led her to one of the chairs on the balcony and knelt down in front of her. His hands moved to clasp hers. Despite what it looked like, he wanted to have a hold on her just in case she tried to leave before he could fully explain himself.

"Okay, dis might take a bit," Remy began. Rogue's face softened. Everything came out; Remy started from the beginning with the job in Los Angeles. He explained his deal with Fury and Xavier, and why his community service wasn't too far from what got him into his current situation. His talents were what Fury wanted. This led to him explaining why he disappeared for two days. He spared her the details about mission, telling her that until he knew more it was for the best she didn't know the details.

"Aside from de professor and Wolverine, your de only person who knows," Remy finished, taking a breath

For Rogue, the explanation was completely out of left field, but she had no idea what to expect from the get go. Fury using blackmail to further his agenda wasn't really a surprise to her. It did get on her nerves that Remy felt keeping the mission details from her was protecting her. Typical male point of view. She couldn't have cared much for the details anyway; it was just the whole chivalry aspect that Remy assumed.

Remy waited for Rogue to say something, anything. She was particularly hard to read right then. It was a lot to take in. She broke eye contact with Remy as she sorted out what she found out. Well, she had what she wanted. Now Remy's recent behavior made sense. His obsession over his cell phone, his acting distant around just about everyone…

So what now? Rogue wondered to herself if this changed things between her and Remy. The answers were more than what she bargained for when she asked.

"Ah…Ah need ta think. This is a lot ta take in, Remy," Rogue finally said, Remy nodded and hung his head. His grip on her hands loosened and he let her leave. He watched her slender figure glide out of the room, leaving him alone with the cigarette he left burning on the railing. Now he got to endure the same anxious waiting Rogue did.

Remy gave Rogue her space. Deep in his gut, he knew if he went to her before she was ready it would make things worse.

Down in the garage Logan was tuning up the X-Van for the driver's ed class he was planning for some of the younger mutants. If teaching Kitty was any indication, the van was going to need to be in pristine condition if was going to survive driver training with a group of mutants, let alone one.

Through various smells of oil, grease, and metal Logan caught a whiff of cigarette smoke. And it was getting stronger. The smell of spice and deodorant just confirmed who Logan thought it was.

He turned from the van to see Remy standing just outside of the garage. He looked stressed, more than Logan had seen him in the last few days. Remy tossed a cigarette butt on the ground and lit up another one. Instinctively, Logan knew that Remy was already past his smoking cap for the day. There must have been a good reason why the bayou bastard was lighting up a bunch. That's when Logan caught the faint scent of Rogue filtering through all the others.

"Need something?" Logan asked briskly, he wiped his hands off and joined Remy outside the garage..

Remy took a couple more drags before answering, "Well, I did it."

Logan raised an eyebrow,"Did what?"

"Rogue began askin' why I disappeared for a couple o' days," Remy said between drags, "And guess what? I decided to tell her de truth, like ya said I would."

_Guess that's why Stripes was lookin' preoccupied,_ Logan deduced. He wasn't sure if he should be angry with Remy or be sympathetic with his situation. Logan had been there plenty of times in his life. He now had the answer to why Rogue was taking so much interest with Remy. A person doesn't divulge sensitive info like working to the government to just anybody. The only people that will ever learn that are the closest of friends and family, if they're lucky. That's the nature of the business. Logan came to the realization that a friendship was budding between Rogue and Remy. Now it was a friendship being put to the test.

"I'm startin' to think I should have kept ma bouche (mouth) shut," Remy muttered. He was sucking down that cigarette pretty fast.

Logan sighed, he sympathized with the kid's situation, but that didn't mean he liked him. He could take a hint though. Remy wasn't the kind of person to be up front about asking for some reassurance. In spite of his overall feelings for him, Logan swallowed his pride.

"Listen, bub, and listen good," Logan snatched the cigarette from Remy's mouth and tossed it on the ground. He had the cajun's undivided attention now, "I'm only going to say this once. You keep too much from your friends you'll lose them. I don't know how much you told Rogue, but knowing her, you made the better move telling her what you're into. Secrets can be kin to lies with her. You get me, bub?"

Remy nodded, "Good, that stays between us, got it Cajun?"

"Of course, mon ami," Remy answered. He had to smile at that. Never in a million years did he think Logan would be on his side about anything.

Not too long after Remy left Logan to his work, Rogue swung by. Logan groaned because he had a good idea why she was there. No matter how hard he tried, he was always going to be caught in the drama crossfire at the mansion.

From inside the mansion, Remy spied Logan talking to Rogue. Whatever they were talking about, it was serious. He watched until he saw Rogue heading back toward the mansion. She was particularly hard to read then. Not wanting to have a confrontation too soon, Remy returned to his room and kept the door open. He figured she would come to him when she was ready.

And come she did.

Remy was playing a game of pyramid solitaire when he heard knock on his door. He turned on his to see Rogue and waited for her to make the next move. She took a seat next to him and took a breath.

Carefully, she snaked her arms around Remy and pulled him into a hug. Remy was paralyzed by shock and awe that it took him a couple seconds to return the hug. He let out a sigh of relief as they sat there.

Rogue's talk with Logan helped put things in perspective for her. She knew Remy was in a precarious situation. His revelation was a gesture of many things: trust, friendship, and most importantly help even if he would not admit it. If he was to get through his service to Fury with his mental state intact, Remy was going to need to know he had people there for him. If he didn't know that, he would internalize and eventually he would burn out. Remy reached out. Rogue knew she couldn't call herself a friend if she turned away now.

They pulled away from the embrace and Rogue finally spoke, "Listen Rems, Ah may not lahke all that you're caught up in. Just know that ya don't have ta go through this alone. Okay?"

Remy's dark eyes searched Rogue's. She was genuine, "Merci, Chéri."

They continued to sit there in silence for awhile before Rogue got up to leave, "Try ta relax, sug. It can't be all bad."

Her smile was contagious; Remy couldn't stop himself if he wanted to, "Sure thing."

Before leaving she did another unexpected thing, "Oh, Remy? We're havin a movie night. You want ta come if you're not sweepin' for bugs?"

A joke? Perhaps Remy would get through this fine. Remy laughed lightly, "Wouldn' miss it, Chéri."

This would be the first relaxing night he had in a long while. And for the first time since he left the guild to join Magneto, he no longer felt like he was alone.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter only took me a couple days to write, I've just been struggling with my other story. So the good news is that I'll be focusing on this one more for the time being.**

**Next chapter: A couple weeks later as Rogue and Remy's friendship continues to blossom, Xavier prepares a couple new methods to help Rogue gain control over her powers.**

**Poor Kitty. Sometimes I like the Lancitty pairing, other times I don't. It sort of depends on how the story feels. Anyway, since I've been updating this story slowly I'll tell you Kitty fans out there something you may like: she's going to become more prominent in this story down the road. That's all you're getting on that.**

**Thanks for keeping with this story. Let me know how I'm doing.**


	7. Things Worth Having

I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any Marvel Characters

Chapter 7: Things Worth Having

In the three weeks that followed Remy's first job for Fury, he began to feel better than ever about life. Now that he had Rogue as a friend and confidante he had help deflecting the more intrusive questions that some of the students had. Logan still gave Remy the runaround during training, especially when he was training with the other students. Remy understood though; the hard-ass of the school couldn't afford to lose that image if it meant having the kids train as hard as they could.

It seemed Logan's never letting up had rubbed off on Rogue over time too. During sparring, Remy was reminded how proficient she was in hand to hand combat. Their matches often reminded him to be glad she was on his side in New Orleans; it's not everyday one fights a femme who can subdue trained assassins with little effort.

Though it was only speculation at this point, there was talk that Remy was being considered for membership as a part of the senior team of X-Men. His skill in the danger room set him well-above the new mutants. The only thing that needed work was his teamwork. Years of working primarily solo builds a lot of tendencies not easily changed.

Remy still kept his phone close, awaiting Fury's next call. He was more at ease with that aspect of his current situation. Whether it was having the ability to be more open with Rogue, knowing what to expect of Fury, or his calm disposition Remy didn't dread the inevitable calls as much. But ever since the last job, Fury had left Remy alone. "Maybe he forgot about me," Remy joked to Rogue one evening. He didn't mind being left alone to say the least. It gave Remy a chance to carve out a piece of semi-normalcy in an unusual life.

More of the students began to warm up to him the more social he became ever since the first movie night he attended with all of them. Hell, even Scott who had made his distrust for Remy no secret was beginning to come around, even if it paled in comparison to the others.

The only bit Remy was a little uncomfortable with were the aggressive ones of the bunch who wanted to really warm up to Remy. Many of the young women at the institute found Remy attractive, especially one Tabitha Smith. She liked having a man around the mansion that liked to make things go boom.

Remy thanked God many times over he knew how to make clean getaways when necessary. The interplay between him and Tabitha was something that she didn't mind making public, much to Remy and Rogue's displeasure. Rogue liked Tabitha, bless her soul, but the way she flaunted her wants was disgusting and kind of a cold slap to the face. Remy could see the hurt in Rogue's eyes during Tabitha's flirtations. He'd have to deal with it at some point, bluntly. His subtle hints to Tabitha that he wasn't really interested were probably being interpreted as he was playing hard to get.

It was mid-afternoon in Bayville and most of the students were still in school. Remy and Scott were working on his convertible, finally detailing it after the last couple weeks they spent doing maintenance work. Remy needed something to occupy his time with and Scott was nailing two birds with one stone by working on the car with Remy. He was reaching out to their newest resident, keeping an eye on him for Kurt, who still wasn't comfortable with Remy being at the institute. Scott understood his reasons with his experience with his own brother; hell if Logan hadn't beaten him to Remy back in New Orleans, Scott knew it would have been Kurt that Rogue would have had to stop from beating on Remy.

All in all, Scott was beginning to approve of Remy. He may have not liked the lifestyle he came from, or even trust him, but Remy was slowly proving himself as a man who took his second chance seriously. A man who can change was one deserving of respect in Scott's eyes if nothing else. There still was the nagging feeling in both of their minds that things might come to blows eventually over something; two former enemies, it was only natural.

"So, you ever work on anything like this while living in New Orleans?" Scott asked trying to keep things casual, Remy flashed a mischievous grin.

"In a manner of speakin'," Remy chuckled at that, Scott had an idea of what he meant, "De Thieves' Guild isn' just out fo' diamonds and rare paintins, ya know what I mean, mon ami?"

"Clearly," Scott should have figured the conversation would go that direction.

_Hey, Scott, you want to help me pick everyone up from school?_ Jean's voice echoed inside of Scott's mind, he looked at his watch and realized school was about to get out for everyone in about five minutes. The longer they had to wait for ride, the longer the school's xenophobic pricks had to try to incite a fight. Some of the students were instructed to begin walking back to the mansion if trouble started brewing, but the sooner they were all corralled the better.

_Sure thing, Jean,_ Scott sent back to her. He went to retrieve the keys to the X-Van after he and Remy finished the last touches on the convertible. Between that and Jean's SUV, they could get everyone in a single trip. That fact made Remy getting his bike ready perplexing.

"Going somewhere?" Scott asked; he was watching Remy's every move now. He was packing an extra helmet in one of his saddle backs. That meant only one thing.

"Figured de rest of de students would appreciate a little extra leg room if I took a passenger," Remy answered. Scott (and Logan) had noticed Remy wanting to help with the pickups was becoming more common. Given the kind of guy they knew Remy to be, they figured he just liked the feeling of a girl holding on to him tight. No shit was all Logan snorted the first time Scott suggested that.

"I'll see ya dere, mon ami," Remy gave Scott a two-finger salute and sped off for the high school as soon as his motorcycle came to life.

It didn't take him long to reach the high school. Most of the Xavier students were gathered in a group in a corner of the student parking lot where they were less likely to be bothered. It was easy to spot everyone through the masses of students flooding out to the buses and cars. Today it seemed some of the xenophobic pricks of the school wanted to have a go at some of them anyway. Remy spied two hooligans which he had intimidated before, making a B-line across the parking lot towards the students. Laurel and Hardy, as Remy had personally christened them based on their respective weights. Before they could get too close and provoke anything Remy sped over on his bike and skidded to a halt right in front of them.

"What the hell!" the fat one, Hardy, shouted at Remy. Remy fixed him with a killer's stare, but it was unnecessary, both teens remembered him as soon as they saw his yeux diables (devil's eyes). He revved his bike ominously as if challenging them.

"De two of you don' need a remedial lesson, do you?" both Laurel and Hardy backed off slowly before turning tail and booking it away from Remy, "Bon garçons."

Remy wheeled his way back around to everyone else. He scoped the group out before announcing his presence and saw Rogue was amongst them, as well as Tabitha who was closer and would opt for the ride faster than Remy could ask. He could have easily rode up and asked Rogue directly if she wanted a ride, but he didn't want to give everyone else the wrong idea, for both his and Rogue's sake.

He pulled his cell phone out and sent her a quick text, 'I'm halfway down the parking lot, look to your left. You want a ride?'

'Why don't you just come over here?'

'…'

'You're such a wuss' Rogue concluded their texting exchange and discreetly made her way to Remy. She spotted him quickly. He was wearing a pair of jeans, and an olive short-sleeve button down that hung open revealing a black wife beater below. His hair was down too, and Rogue had to admit it looked better down. Somehow it softened his facial features and made him more inviting. She developed a preference to seeing his hair that way ever since she first saw it that way.

"I'm a wuss?" Remy pretended to be hurt by her text, Rogue on the other hand was a little entertained by the fact that Remy was actually trying to avoid a woman who was very much interested in him, "Come on, hop on."

"How 'bout Ah drahve today?" Rogue suggested putting on the spare motorcycle helmet.

Remy wasn't sure what made him more nervous: her driving his motorcycle or a confrontation with Tabitha, "I don' think you could handle mon bébé, Chère."

"Oh please, it's you who can't handle meh. You _are_ actin' lahke a wuss today," Rogue continued to rib Remy. She also had to admit, it was fun joking with him, even if it was at his expense. Even he laughed, even if it was nervously, "Ya wanna prove meh wrong, let meh drahve or go tell Tabby you're not interested."

Rogue waited anxiously for him to decide on how to go about the ultimatum. She hastened his decision with a threat to call Tabitha over. The expression on his face when he realize she wasn't kidding was hilarious. Rogue sort of wanted to see if Remy would do it and finally put an end to the annoying back and forth. However, she was the only one who found it so annoying. She knew Remy was free to flirt with anyone he wanted to; he wasn't involved with anyone as far as she knew. So why did Rogue give a damn if Remy flirted with Tabitha?

_God, we're just friends. Its not lahke he's mine exclusively because we talk,_ Rogue thought to herself.

"Take de driver's seat den, if you think you can handle it," Remy shifted to the passenger seat on his motorcycle. Rogue smiled faintly, she was really hoping he'd do it. Did his choosing not to tell Tabitha he wasn't interested mean something? Rogue felt a lump develop in the pit of her stomach. She was confused, scared actually, that she was disappointed with Remy's decision.

_Ugh, so what girl?_ Rogue scolded herself before her mind could wander too far. She focused on giving Remy the ride of a lifetime. That was going to be fun.

She stored her school stuff in another one of the saddle bags and took control of the bike, "Hold on, sug."

She revved the bike and hit the gas hard.

"Ay, Merde!"

"You really think it could work?" Hank McCoy asked Charles' in his study. He, Logan and Xavier were meeting concerning a promising new kind of training to help Rogue with her powers.

"Like always, with Rogue's powers I can't be sure," Xavier answered truthfully. So far Rogue and he had no previous successes as a basis for what would and would not work. But he had some hope about this one, "This time we're changing the approach to her difficulties, but that has problems of its own."

That had Logan's attention immediately. Problems rarely were miniscule in respect to people's powers. Xavier's cool-handed nature toward it this time was very much deceiving. No one in this room could possibly know what would happen with Rogue's power.

"These problems are?" Logan asked.

"This new therapy I want to try requires not only Rogue, but a partner," Xavier answered. Hank and Logan's eyes widened.

"Charles, don't you think that might be a little oh, I don't know, dangerous?" Logan asked sarcastically.

Hank seemed to agree, a little more politely, "He does bring up a valid point. The risk factors are immense in that kind of situation. Once you figure in personal injury, mental trauma, it doesn't get much brighter from there."

Xavier nodded, understanding their concerns, "That's why you two are here. Hank, I want you to attend these sessions to make sure they are safe. And Logan, having you here may be the very thing she needs during these sessions. It'll be dangerous."

Logan looked away, unsure if he was the one who should be helping Rogue with this new method. His mind wasn't exactly the most stable, nor concluded. There could be some dangerous things waiting for Rogue inside his memory gaps that would be bad for everyone.

"I don't know, Charles. I'm not telepath, but I'm not exactly the poster boy for anger management," Logan said, he silently projected his other qualms, hoping Charles would pick up on them. Charles gave Logan another look, telling him he had.

"I guess it would be better for her to choose a partner then," Xavier agreed. As their private meeting concluded, they got ready to tell Rogue.

Rogue slid Remy's bike to a halt outside of the garage. She felt his crushing embrace hold her like a vice.

"Mon Deiu," Remy said breathing heavily, "Next time I jus' tell de femme I ain't interested. Femme fou (crazy woman)."

Rogue pried herself out of Remy's arms laughing. She was right, he couldn't handle her. She laughed triumphantly tossing Remy her helmet.

"So, do I get anythin' fo' provin ye wrong, Chère?" Remy asked playfully.

"Please, you were holdin' on fer dear lahfe. Ya call that handlin' meh?" Rogue giggled a little more as she went to grab her school bag, only to be beaten to it by Remy, "Ah could have gottin' it?"

"I know, let's jus' say I suffer from a minor case of compulsive chivalry," Remy gave her a scandalous smile a she took her bag. Rogue rolled her eyes in return, not out of annoyance. They beat everyone else back to the mansion, giving Rogue a chance to get the comfiest seat in the mansion to relax for a bit after school. It was one of those weekends where she was able to get her homework done during class and had freed up the weekend. Maybe they would have another movie night if the rest of the students got their homework done fast enough.

Remy and Rogue snagged the couch in the living room and hung there for awhile. Remy began to teach Rogue how to throw playing cards fast and accurately into a hat. It was something to pass the time until they and everyone else at the mansion could figure out what to do with their Friday night. Remy looked at the time and asked Rogue if she would be meeting with the professor at all today.

"Ah don't think so. He usually calls me when he has somethin' new to try," Rogue answered, her smile running away from her face. For the last couple weeks, Xavier and she hadn't met to work on her powers. Rogue understood he was a busy man, but at the same time, she wanted to believe that her learning to control powers as dangerous as hers was important, "How much ya wanna bet the next thing he comes up with doesn't work?"

Remy caught the next card Rogue threw in mid-flight before it could divert from the in, "You don' think it will?"

Remy searched Rogue's face. Optimism wasn't strong there.

"Ah've been workin' on this for a long tahme, Rems. Ah'd have thought Ah would have made some progress at this point," Rogue answered. The hopeless feeling Rogue felt at the moment could not be helped. Failure after failure is kills morale slowly and painfully making the search for any hope only harder.

Remy handed the card back to her, "You can't jus' give up hope Rogue."

"Ah know. A little assurance that Ah'm getting' somewhere isn't too much to ask for is it?"

Remy was about to answer when he saw Rogue's attention pulled completely away from their conversation.

_Rogue?_ She heard Xavier's voice in her ear, _would you please come to my study. I have something I want to discuss with you._

Rogue let out a sigh of relief, _Saved by the professor._

"Uh, Ah got to go. The professor wants to see meh," she said to Remy as he fumbled his own words.

"Sure thing, Chère. Listen, if ya-"

"I will," Rogue answered. She knew he was there.

He grabbed her gloved hand before she got away, "If bein' a thief has taught me anythin', Rogue, it's dat de things worth havin' in dis world aren' easy to get."

That brought a smile to Rogue's face, even if it only lasted for a second. Her mind gave her a comical visual of a bunch of lasers and cameras being between Remy and a big diamond. Definitely, as Rogue now believed, that was a perfect moral for Remy.

Remy slid a card into her hands and her mind flashed back to Blood Moon Bayou. Once again Rogue had the queen of hearts in her hand, "Fo' good luck. Bon?"

"Merci," Rogue thanked Remy. He loved the sound of French rolling off of her tongue, accented by her Mississippi drawl. Remy was a little admitting this to himself, but he thought it was hot.

Rogue left Remy with his cards, and walked with a minor spur in her step.

In his office, Xavier, Logan, and Beast were making sure everything was ready. Beast had all the necessary medical equipment around just in case the worst were to happen and Logan was there to handle the situation if it got out of hand. This was all necessary provided Rogue chose to begin the new therapy that day.

After a slight knock on the door, Rogue moseyed on in and took a seat on the love seat next to Xavier. Her mind buzzed with questions pertaining to the presence of Logan and Beast.

"Thank you for coming, Rogue," Xavier began, "I'm pleased to announce that I may have found a more promising method for helping you learn control."

"Realleh?" Rogue's reaction was not very enthusiastic. Understandable considering all that had come before.

"I know this is becoming harder to keep up with. I just hope you know that everyone here is proud of your tenacity," Xavier continued, Rogue was hoping he would get on with his next grand plan. She appreciated his own diligence, but if this was going to turn out to be another failure, then why drag it out?

"This new method for helping you learn control is much different than any of our previous endeavors," Rogue's interest was hooked, "As far as we know, your powers absorb life force, memories, abilities, mannerisms, emotions, and many more related complexities pertaining to the mind and body."

"In our past sessions we've tried to keep you from absorbing all that you powers enable you to. The new therapy I want us to attempt will involve a certain amount of telepathic involvement… and touch," Xavier added that at the last second. Rogue flinched upon hearing touch.

"Ah… Ah don't know professor, Ah don't want to hurt anyone," Rogue said tugging at the seams of her gloves, "Ah mean, come on, a coma isn't somethin' anyone here should have to risk for mah sake."

Logan took the opportunity to butt in, "That may be, Stripes, but you know that there's plenty of people around who'd take that risk anyway."

"Logan is right. The risk is there, but it is not a matter of people having to take a risk. We'll only pursue this if those involved want to," Xavier tried to reassure Rogue, "All the necessary precautions will be taken. And given the nature of your powers I think its best that you choose who it is you want to try this therapy with. Best you choose someone you are comfortable with, and that their mind be stable. I don't want to borrow trouble where it isn't due."

That made perfect sense to Rogue. She didn't want to put anything in her mind that she wasn't prepared for. But who was the unlucky bastard she'd have to pick for this? And would they agree to help when she asked? There were only a couple people in the mansion that she trusted enough to do this with her. There advantages, and drawbacks, to each decision.

Kurt, her dear brother, seemed like the reasonable choice. Rogue trusted him with her life, but he was protective of her. Sometimes a bit much. He had track record for getting worked up when it came to her and the risky parts of life. Typical brother-to-sister love.

Logan was somewhat the same story in the protective nature. His healing factor would make the danger to him pale in comparison to anyone else. His mind however, as he well knew, made him unsuitable.

And there was Remy. She was beginning to trust him more and more. Their friendship could serve as a foundation for making this new therapy more effective. However, there was the outstanding issue of Remy's current situation. For as much as he had told her, there may have been things Rogue was not ready to know about Remy, nor Remy ready for her to about him. His work for Fury no doubt would lead to needing to keep some things secret, with good reasons. There were no guarantees of that would happen if Remy became the person to help her.

Fate never seemed to leave Rogue a clear-cut answer to the obstacles in her life. There was always something that got in the way, some sacrifice to be made, some fine print. It was always a struggle. But Remy summed it up perfectly. Control was something worth having and if a struggle was the price, then Rogue concluded she should be willing to suffer that. The only question now was would Remy want to help?

"I understand that this is a decision not to be made lightly. So take as long as you need to choose," Xavier implored caution justifiably. Right then however, Rogue did not need any more time to decide.

"Ah alreadeh know who Ah want to ask," the three adults in the room fixed her with looks of intrigue, shock, and uncertainty, "Ah want to ask Remy."

"Now I know you're joking," Logan huffed, seriously hoping she was pulling all of their legs. Her face told a different story; she was dead serious about Remy being the one she wanted on this one. He cursed to himself silently. For his entire over-bearing demeanor around the two, he thought he would have seen something like this coming. It was another rare instance where Logan was disarmingly caught off his guard.

Xavier drummed his fingers against his chin. He found Rogue's choice of a partner peculiar, but not exactly shocking. He had seen them during the last couple of weeks, growing closer as friends. Rogue seemingly had warmed up to him faster than anyone else that had ever been at the mansion. There was a strong rapport between the two that Rogue had with few other individuals. The logic was there staring them all in the face.

"You're sure this is the person you want to help you in this new therapy?" Xavier wanted to be sure. If this new therapy did not get off on the right foot, Rogue would not want to try it again any time soon. The first time needed to have acceptable results in respect to comfort for all involved. Rogue's features were steadfast and unwavering. She was sure of this, "Very well."

Xavier reached out through the mansion to find Remy. He found him quickly in deep thought.

_Remy, would you please come to my study. I require your… input on a matter that has come up,_ Remy heard Xavier's voice intrude on his mind. Remy sighed as he looked at his now ruined house of cards. So much for peace and quiet. Moments later, Remy arrived in Xavier's office. The presence of everyone there got Remy's mind racing. Logan didn't look too pleased with him.

Remy knew this could not have been about any recent rule-breaking on his part. For a rare instance in his life, Remy had been making a point to abide by all the rules he had to follow now. This must have been different.

"Well, Rogue, better tell Remy why I called him here," Xavier urged, "Please Remy, take a seat."

Remy made his way over to Rogue, sitting right next her, careful to leave an acceptable amount of space between them. Logan was watching him like a hawk more than ever. Rogue took a deep breath and met Remy's eyes.

"The professor has come up with a new therapy to help meh control mah powers," Rogue began. She explained the situation to him with the help of Hank and Xavier. They explained the approach to helping Rogue, how the basic progression of the therapy, and finished by stressing the dangers to everyone involved.

Remy realized that Rogue wanting him to help her was a statement of how much she trusted him. On the other side of that coin however, he was afraid. Given how chaotic life was for him, how would that affect Rogue? Was that risk worth taking.

"Ah understand if ya don't want to put yourself at risk," Rogue mouth twitched as if she wanted to say more but the words wouldn't come. Remy could fill in the blanks for himself though.

"No, Rogue," Remy filled the silence, "I want to help you. Just know dat you may find some things up here you don' like. Things I may not be proud of even. We both know I got my share of transgressions. I figure… you deserve a warning at least."

"Ah…Ah understand," Rogue nodded. Remy reached for her hand and squeezed it, garnering a smile from Rogue. She returned the squeeze, accepting his warning.

_Wise decision, Remy,_ Xavier commended. Better that was out on the table sooner than later. It wasn't like Rogue never had Remy inside her head before. Now she was just going to be having more of him in there now.

"Shall we begin?" both Remy and Rogue nodded to Xavier and everyone else got ready to do their part, "Now, I want both of you to focus on my voice and my instructions to the letter. Understood?"

Rogue and Remy nodded and felt their minds ease into a floating-like state. They were very much conscious like they would be on a regular basis, but in addition they felt more connected to their own minds; it was like they were more aware of what was happening inside themselves.

_Close your eyes. I want you both to calm your minds. Deep breaths… concentrate only on your breaths…_

Rogue and Remy's hands were all together now as they did as they were told. Their muscles relaxed in sync with each other as they patiently awaited Xavier's next instructions. The only thing Remy found he could not relax was his stomach. He could feel it twisting like a rope. He kept his mind clear and serene.

_Now Rogue, remove one of your gloves… keep up with the deep and controlled breaths,_ Remy tightened his grip just so Rogue could pull her hand out of one of her gloves without having to let go of him completely. She knew the dangers of this, and hated that Remy could get seriously hurt. But he had trusted her thus far. He was here for the duration.

They continued to focus only on their breaths until Xavier felt that they both were calm.

_Now I am going to open a telepathic link between the two of you. Remy, I want you to think of a number. Any number you can think of._

Remy did as he was told and held the number in his mind

_Now Remy think only of that number. Free your mind of any other thoughts. Rogue, with just the tips of your fingers, touch Remy's temple and hold them there for two seconds. Try to focus on blocking out Remy's thoughts, but allow yourself to absorb everything else. Take as long as you need to prepare yourself._

Remy braced himself for having his being ripped from its self. The only feeling that compared to Rogue's powers was the downing of a lot of hard liquor and a valium tablet in a matter of seconds. Waking up left the body feeling like an empty husk before one's energy came back. Mentally her powers made a person's mind feel like it was being torn apart by a whirlpool before finally being sucked down the drain and left unconscious. Waking up mentally was like one bad hangover.

Remy scolded himself and refocused on the number he thought of. He could take whatever Rogue's powers did to him. All that mattered right then was focusing on his number.

Rogue was in somewhat a similar state of mind. She focused on her breath, relinquishing all thoughts more complex than inhale, exhale. She focused on other things like Remy's scent, the heat that resonated from his body in this close proximity. Rogue thought of his powers, his skills, and on keeping his thoughts out. Or at least any thoughts that had numbers associated with them. She exhaled one last time and lightly touched the tips of her ungloved fingers t Remy's temple. His hand squeezed hers as she made contact.

A wealth of feelings and energy siphoned through Rogue's hand. _No numbers,_ she told herself over and over again. A lot came through in a rush, impossible to sort out. Her mind and body collided with Remy's for two whole seconds. For an instant, it almost was like they were one person. For those two seconds, Remy felt every fiber of his being drawn into Rogue: his energy, his powers, his mind. And then he felt the soft skin of Rogue's fingertips sever themselves from his body.

His mind swirled and he felt woozy, but he was still conscious. He still felt like sleep would take him soon. Rogue on the other hand felt her body coercing with unbound energy. As her mind sorted out what was his and what was hers, she continued to breathe deeply.

_Rogue? Can do you know the number Remy was thinking of?_ Xavier's voice sounded in both Rogue's and Remy's mind. She sorted through what info she got from Remy. She could see all that she absorbed plain as day. She instinctively knew how to use his powers, how to through cards, secret passwords to places she never heard of. In her search for the number he recently conjured, she found something. It was blurred, and hard to make out. The number she saw in her mind was misshapen and amorphous like the wax in a lava lamp. And then they faded into nothingness.

_Ah see a seven, Ah think there are others, but Ah can't tell if those are numbers too,_ Rogue answered solemnly. She still saw a number. It must have been the one Remy thought of. Perhaps this was not the answer to finding control.

_What number were you thinking of Remy?_

_I won't lie professeur, de number I thought of was 777,_ _like de jackpot,_ Remy answered. Rogue's heart just about stopped. That's what the other things in that jumbled mess must have been. She may have absorbed a little bit, but she still blocked some of it.

"Congratulations, Rogue," Xavier said aloud. Rogue and Remy opened their eyes unsure of what to say. Did it really work?

"Ah still saw a number professor."

"True, but you didn't get all of it. You know Remy is telling the truth about what number he thought of. As such, you know that you blocked out parts of what you usually absorb," Xavier explained, "I didn't expect you to block his thoughts out completely the first time around. This is new ground, for all of us."

Rogue's arms shook with excitement, she had really done it. It may have only been a scrap, but it was proof that she could exercise control. She looked to Remy, who looked like he could pass out at any time. Even so, he forced a smile and said, "Dat was amazin', Chère."

"Oh mah God, we realleh did it Remy," Rogue and he met in a warm embrace. Logan grunted quietly to himself. He let it slide though, it was a victory after all.

Xavier smiled. At last, a breakthrough. It would take a couple more sessions of different trials before they could be certain this was the answer. It would take even longer for Rogue to gain total control with this method, but this was a good sign. If nothing else, it was a morale win. He stated as much to Rogue, but at that moment, nothing could sully her mood.

The smile she had then was up there with the wonders of the world. And Remy helped make it so. Before Xavier let both Remy and Rogue off the hook to celebrate, he had Hank make sure their vitals were normal and that Remy was in condition to be moving around.

As soon as he was cleared, they were gone before anyone could say much else.

"So, ma dame heureux (happy lady), how do you want to celebrate?" Remy asked.

"Ah don't know. Ah've never felt this way before… well, not for a long tahme anyway," her answer perplexed Remy. She looked happy, beyond that in fact. He'd seen that plenty of times since he knew her.

"What do you mean?"

"Ah've never felt this kahnd of hope," Rogue answered shyly, unable to break her smile, "This is the first tahme it looks lahke Ah'll be able to touch eventually… It's just, lahke… wow."

Remy laughed, he knew how she felt without her telling, "You feel like maybe all de time before now was worth it?"

"Ah don't know," Rogue turning her eyes away as she walked ahead of Remy, "We'll see, won't we?"

He took her hand in his once again as they walked, "Don' worry about dat, Chère. Better to leave de past in de past. You got somethin' to look forward to now."

"Sure you're okay bein' mah dummy for this?" Rogue asked, Remy gave her hand another squeeze.

"I don' guarantee I'm de best one for dis. Mais, as long as you want me, I'll be with you every step, d'accord?" Remy's promise was true, as Rogue knew very well. She had enough of his mind in her mind to see that, as disorganized as it was for the moment. Rogue gave Remy's arm a tug, stopping him in his tracks.

Remy turned and saw Rogue just in time to meet her halfway for another hug. He held her tighter than he ever had. He felt her tracing with her fingers on his back, sending a nice shiver through his joints. He liked it. Before he knew what he was doing, he was stroking Rogue's hair as she nestled against his broad chest. This, the way they were, the touch they did have, they were both lost in the moment and each other.

"Hey! What zhe hell are you doing with my schester?" a voice called from across the hallway.

Now that moment was over.

Rogue peeked over Remy's shoulder and stepped back from him, "Nothin' Kurt! Jeez."

He must have ported there. Remy was nonchalant about the whole thing, unfazed by Kurt's surprise appearance on the outside. Inside, he was cursing Kurt for interrupting that moment.

"Rogue, what are you doing?" Kurt asked, absolutely fuming.

"Ah'm huggin' mah friend. Ya got a problem with that?" Rogue shot back, Kurt was about to enter another tirade but Rogue beat him to the next word, "Ah can hug who Ah want, when Ah want."

"But he's… he nearly…" Kurt was stuck. He was the younger sibling, so the chances of her listening were slim.

"Ugh, Kurt you better get used to he and Ah doin' more than this," Rogue scolded her little brother, not seeing the wide-eyed look in Remy's eyes. He took her words a little out of context before correcting himself. Typical male. Kurt didn't make the same correction though, forcing Rogue to make a clarifying point, "He's goin' to be helpin' meh with mah powers. Got it?" Rogue pressed her index finger into Kurt's chest for emphasis.

Kurt was dumbstruck. So much for getting Scott to keep an eye on Remy. Rogue saw that Kurt was going to need time for this to set in. He was able to get one thing out to Remy, "I'm watching you! You'll be hearing from me later, dumkoff."

And he was gone in a puff of smoke before Rogue could tell him otherwise, "Damn it. Ah'll talk to him. God, the way he's goin' on about it, you'd think we were datin' or somethin'."

Rogue dreaded having to explain things to Kurt when he was being more reasonable. She entertained the idea of asking Remy for pointers on explaining complicated situations.

Remy on the other hand saw the way her face slightly grimaced when she mentioned dating. It wasn't exactly disgust. It was more a look that told her that the idea was a crazy notion. Remy laughed at the idea too; rather he acted like he was laughing. He knew they were just friends but for some reason, it seemed like a blow to the stomach hearing what regard she held dating in. Most women found him very desirable. Rogue wasn't most women though. She never had dated as far as Remy knew. Of course she would the idea of dating someone crazy. Right now anyway.

_Yeah, dat must be it. Christ, Remy you're just friends,_ Remy gave himself a mental slap to remember that. Even so, that idea was planted in his head and would bother him like so many other "what ifs".

"Yeah, dat's just crazy," Remy said dimly through his feigned smile. He quickly changed his tone to avoid raining on Rogue's victory. His voice became very smooth and deep, "So, how do you wanna 'celebrate'?"

Rogue hit him playfully on the arm, and pulled him along.

William Stryker and a detachment from the special ops division of his PMC (Private Military Company) sailed through the air in three Black Hawk helicopters. They were en route to the presidential palace of the island nation of Madripoor, which recently underwent a regime change. From what Stryker knew, _she_ was treacherous and not one to enter business with lightly. However, Stryker's agenda required absolute privacy. That was something that the ruler of Madripoor valued too.

As Stryker looked out of the Black Hawk at the city that bore the same name of its country. Hightown was the first thing anyone noticed from a distance. Towering skyscrapers marked the center of the city as exclusive to the rich and powerful, and the center for the country's government and business, domestic or otherwise. The further from Hightown one got, the poorer the neighborhood. Even from the current altitude, Stryker could see the poverty clear as day.

The closer they got to the presidential palace, the more they saw the current regime's insignia. It looked like a green octopus of some sort. All the banners at the palace had been freshly replaced by it, as Stryker saw.

The three Black Hawks hovered over the courtyard of the palace. Two of them descended while the third looped the LZ like a vulture as air support. As soon as they landed, most of the commandos formed a perimeter around the LZ while four acted as Stryker's escort.

The palace guards acted as additional escorts leading Stryker to the lounge where Madripoor's ruler awaited. The lounge was open air with a view of the entire Madripoor skyline. Eating at a small table, Styker saw her. Madripoor's new leader looked very young, and alluring. It was a deceptive physical ploy that masked her deadly nature. She wore a green, skin-tight uniform that matched her eyes. Long black hair cascaded over her shoulders. Very much attractive.

She was going over a report from what Stryker could gather. Running a country, no matter the size, was a round-the-clock operation.

"Madame Hydra," Stryker greeted. He broke from his escort and joined Viper at her table.

"Colonel Stryker, welcome to Madripoor," she shook his hand firmly, "Sorry the palace isn't completely fixed yet."

Stryker laughed darkly, "Yes, I see maintenance is still pulling bullet slugs out of the walls."

"A coup de état is rarely clean," she mused, she took a sip of red wine and offered some to Styker, who candidly refused, "I'm more than happy to provide you with the facilities you require. I just can't have them here in Madripoor. Diplomatic issues as you could imagine."

Stryker could accept that. He wasn't about to coerce someone like Viper into giving him what he wanted. Terrorist organizations like HYDRA made Al Queda look like harmless bunny rabbits in comparison.

"Certainly," Stryker retrieved a data pad from his combat jacket and handed it over to Viper, "Your compensation is listed on that data pad. Exclusive training from my company's specialists to your soldiers, weapons, vehicles, and supplies further detailed will be provided as per our agreement."

"You couldn't send this via mail because…?" Viper asked for an explanation.

"Security risks on my end. I want our arrangement to be discreet. If some three, four, or five letter agency catches wind of this, you won't reap the benefits of acquiring a country," Stryker explained.

"I don't see how a security leak on your end will affect a sovereign nation," Viper corrected.

"Wrong," Stryker snipped back, "For someone who's fought SHIELD most of her life, you seem to forget they don't stop until they've have the whole job done. That means you, me, and everyone in on this. Even the little guys."

"I know that, Stryker," Viper said, "but you know that if this blows back on me, you won't live to face a trial of your peers. That would be bad for HYDRA."

"I'd expect nothing less. Well, if there is nothing else, I'll leave you to your supper. Payment should commence in about a week," Stryker bade Viper farewell and wasted no time getting out of Madripoor. Another piece of his scheme was secured, and he was one step closer to bringing judgment to mutantkind.

**A/N: Hope you liked it. Romance and intimacy is not my strong suit, but I do what I can.**

**Rogue's feeling about the idea of dating Remy? That's natural seeing how neither her nor Remy have had the epiphany that they're falling for the other. But don't worry, all in due time. At least I got a little flirtation in**

**Next Chapter: Fury sends Remy into the heart of the HYDRA Empire to commit a theft that even the Thieves' Guild would consider impossible. On top of that, Remy is saddled with the objective of rescuing another one of Fury's "unofficial assets". Something of this caliber is more than what one man can accomplish, so Fury sets Remy up with a partner. Welcome to Madripoor; where the rich and corrupt prosper, and the poor and destitute have been forgotten by the world.**

**Any guesses at who Remy's partner will be? I might have left a very vague hint in a previous chapter, very vague.**


	8. Red & Purple

**I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any Marvel characters**

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated quickly. My brother just deployed overseas and I haven't been able to focus. School just started also, but I'll try to update regularly. US citizens, support those who protect your freedoms, freedoms that allow you to read this and all other stories on this site.**

**This chapter is dedicated to the pain loved ones feel when duty calls. The action chapter will come next and you all will get to see Remy's partner. Sorry to disappoint if I have.**

Chapter 8: Red & Purple

Remy was crouched behind what was left of a brick wall in Midtown looking around for his teammates. The sounds of gunfire and explosives rattled everything from the ground he crouched on, to the depths of his eardrums. He peeked around the corner of the brick wall and saw a sentinel lumbering around the intersection down the street. Its current protocol was seeking and incapacitate. Remy began to fall back toward the rest of his teammates as they tried to gain some ground on the techno giant.

This was a new training simulation for all X-Men. Ever since the sentinel incident nearly a year before, Wolverine thought it best that they start training for when they would have to deal with that situation again. Right now Remy was in the DR with Scott, Logan, Jean, Rogue, Bobby Drake, Kitty, Tabitha, and Kurt. Their job was simple: disable the sentinel quickly.

A couple shots from the sentinel's laser canons peppered their current position, causing everyone to scatter. Scott's intention was to give the sentinel multiple groups of targets to worry about instead of one. That proved to be a bad idea quickly when they realized that the sentinel could multi-task its guns.

Everyone dropped into a trench carved into the concrete, and those who could return fire did so. Cyclops let loose with is optic blasts and Bobby tried to slow the sentinels advance with his ice. Scott managed to knock it back a few feet, but it just kept coming with bigger and bigger volleys. It was just out of range for Remy's card tricks. He would have helped if he carried around objects with a little more weight.

Jean put up a TK shield that offered some protection while they figured out how they were going to beat this thing.

Rogue felt the most useless out of anyone. Her powers worked only at close range and on living beings. At the moment she was cannon fodder, "Any ahdea's Cyke?"

Scott shot off a couple more optic blasts, knocking back the sentinel a few feet. Delay tactics weren't going to win this one, especially when the sentinel adapted to the way they fought. Scott did a run down of everyone's abilities in his head. At the same time he calculated how much they could spread out and still be effective as a team. The way the scenario was playing out, the only way they were going to get out of this situation was taking offensive action.

Before he could put anything into play the Sentinel stopped unexpectedly. Everything including the holograms acted like someone had pressed pause.

"Did we win?" Bobby asked poking his head out from trench.

"Keep dreaming, Ice Man," Logan grunted as all the holograms began to fade.

"Forgive me everyone there still seems to be some bugs in this program," Xavier's voice crackled out of the DR intercom, "We're cutting this program's test run short today."

Everyone exchanged looks. Even for a trial run of a program, Xavier usually saw it through all the way. Not that people were complaining that they were getting out of a DR session early.

Remy gave Rogue a smile. Perhaps getting out early would allow them to do something now that they had an extra hour in their day. He caught Kurt giving him a scowl out of the corner of his eye as he did so. Although this had only been going on for a day, Remy was getting sick of being watched the way a hawk watches its prey. Protective instincts he understood, but what Kurt was doing seemed more than just that. Even when Remy was not around Rogue he saw Kurt watching him carefully. He still had yet to give Remy the standard brother-protecting-sister speech. It would not have been the first time Remy was confronted under those circumstances.

"Whoa, where do you think you all are going?" Logan called after everyone before they could leave, "I still get all of you for thirty minutes. Yes, you too Slim. Don't think you or Red get out of this just because you're teachers."

Scott was about to debate how much authority Logan had over him and Jean but was beaten to words by Logan, "You all are going to spend the rest of this session working on basics: sparring. Hey Charles, activate the sparring mats, will ya?"

Everyone let out a light groan. Logan was merciless in his training and it had paid off countless times. That did not mean all the students enjoyed it though. Everyone was broken up into pairs for the exercise; Kurt was with Jean, Rogue was with Bobby, Scott was with Logan (just so the latter could prove his point), leaving Remy with Tabitha.

Remy wasn't looking forward to this to say the least. A Catholic upbringing and a gentlemen's temperament made him a little hesitant when facing off against a woman. He had a weakness for them in two ways. One, everyone figured and the other was his own failing in underestimating them at times.

"You ready for me Bayou Boy?" Tabitha asked as they squared off against each other. Remy figured she was one of the more aggressive femmes.

"I'm always ready, petite," Remy shot back. He got into a ready stance and motioned Tabitha to come at him, with a smile to boot.

Tabitha let out a giggle, "Oh, you're asking for it."

She came straight at Remy throwing a kick to his side followed up by a pair of punches. Remy was able to block her moves with ease. Many people he had squared off against had made the mistake of thinking him a one-trick act. That was as much an advantage then as it was now.

Tabitha tried to sweep his feet out from under him but Remy pivoted his body around hers with grace. She threw another kick at him, but this time Remy caught her leg and held it up forcing her balance on her free foot.

"Gonna have to do better den dat, petite," Remy wagged a finger at her. To his surprise, Tabitha leapt forward on her one foot and sent it smashing into his chest. He released her leg promptly. Remy rubbed his chest; that was a good hit, "Dat's better I guess."

Tabitha came at him some more. Remy was exceedingly fast with his defensive moves. She wondered what else those hands were good at in the back of her mind, "So Remy, since we have a moment…"

She kicked to the side of Remy's head, only to have Remy duck and catch her punch in his palm, "… I was wondering if you want to do something tonight."

"What?" Tabitha took Remy's shock to her advantage going for a close, open-palm strike to his chest. Remy grabbed that hand and twisted both behind her back. They were chest to chest exchanging body heat.

"Need me to ask again?" Tabitha asked in a throaty voice. Remy pushed her away, quickly uncomfortable with how they were situated.

"Dis really a good time to be askin' me about dis?" Remy threw a couple of open palm strikes of his own. He was holding back offensively, but that didn't matter to Tabitha. She grabbed one of Remy's arms and took him down to the ground and pressed her knee into his chest.

"I think it's the perfect time. You've been playing hard to get," Tabitha pressed a little harder forcing Remy to bump his body against the ground to knock her off balance. He forced her knee away and pinned her with her arms at her side between his legs, "I think it's kinda hot how you play it."

It was kind of compromising with him on top. Rogue saw this and shook her head in disgust. It looked like they were flirting and whatever Remy was doing, Tabitha enjoyed it.

Rogue turned her attention back to her opponent and came at Bobby hard. She broke through his defenses and threw him to the ground hard.

"Agh, Rogue! Careful, it's just training," Bobby yelled at her. She helped him up, not realizing how hard she just took him down. How did she lose control like that? Rogue scolded herself before Logan could. All he did was roll his eyes. Rogue swore she saw him mutter the word teenagers.

Tabitha was still pinned beneath Remy and was trying to wriggle free, "So you wanna catch a movie or something?"

Remy wasn't sure what to do from here. Perhaps it was time to put an end to her pursuits, "I don' think so."

"Not tonight or at all?" Tabitha's tone took a dramatic turn from pleasant to slightly frustrated. She kicked one of her legs back into Remy knocking him off of her. She leapt up and was back on him quicker than he could recover.

Remy got to his feet, fending off kicks and punches and answered when there was a pause in the sparring match, "At all, petite, I just ain't interested."

Tabitha's face scrunched up. Weeks of trying to catch his eye, get a word with him, trying to get him be attracted to her and he still did not want to go out with her? The way she felt about that translated into a brutal barrage of attacks Remy could barely fend off, much to Logan's pleasure. After a few minutes of being on the defensive, his ability to fend Tabitha off gave way. She delivered a kick straight into his chest knocking him on his back. Remy never thought rejection could hurt _him_ that much. He laid on the ground shocked and felt a little less like a man at the moment. Tabitha stood over him. She wasn't pissed at him because he said no. Rather it had more to do with the fact that it took that long to just get an answer out of him.

Tabitha offered her hand to Remy and helped him up. To his surprise she smiled. "That's all you had to say you know. Next time just tell a girl you're not interested so she can move on to someone else."

Remy rubbed his chest and said with a smile, "Oui, sure thing, petite."

Logan ordered them all to switch partners and Remy felt relief for more reasons than one.

The training session ended after a couple more partner rotations. As everyone was off to the showers Logan muttered to Remy on his way out, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, eh Gumbo?"

Remy feigned a laugh as he parted ways with Logan.

Rogue watched as Remy hobbled away from the Danger Room. Tabitha must have given him a hell of a time. She noticed she was not pining after him like she had been. Rogue did not understand why, but she was hoping that it meant what she thought it did. In her heart she knew there was no other explanation for Tabitha's sudden shift from Remy in those few minutes. Rogue smiled, puzzled as to why that made her happy.

That puzzling fear that was nagging at the back of her head from the previous day was gone now.

Was it just because she would not have to watch the insufferable, flirtatious back and forth between Tabitha and Remy anymore? Yes, that must have been it.

After Rogue showered and was dressed comfortably she was greeted outside the locker room by Remy. She figured he was there to walk with her on their way to meet with Xavier for Rogue's therapy. He had changed out of his jumpsuit into a pair of jeans and casual button-down shirt that he let hang open revealing the grey wife-beater that hugged his physique snuggly. His hair hung down past his ears, slightly clinging to his face from his own shower. Rogue's mirrored his.

"Ready, Chère?" Remy asked offering her his hand. Rogue smiled and took it firmly.

"Ready as Ah'll ever beh," Rogue answered pulling Remy along. As they walked to the Professor's study, Rogue stole glances at Remy. She caught him doing the same occasionally. They did not talk as the professor instructed them to calm their minds before every session from there on out. Even so, that did not stop either teen's eyes from wandering to the other. A silent dance between their eyes soon developed, and soon neither of them turned from it when found out. They would meet eyes, smile, and be drawn in only to break away when they realized that they needed to calm their minds.

It was like a magnetic force to Rogue; every time they locked eyes and smiled, it got harder to turn away. As much as she tried to calm her mind, Rogue finally was putting things into perspective about how good a friend Remy really had been in the time that the new each other. He helped her come to terms with what she did to Mystique, showed her a good time in New Orleans, and now he was helping her with her powers. A friend that dedicated was rare from what Rogue knew of the world. She would need to hold onto this one.

A mutual feeling was in Remy also. Rogue had proven herself a friend in more respects than one. He just prayed that he would not screw things up with her up like he did with his family. Well, it was not entirely his fault. In his heart, Remy was glad they had not come up yet. But with this new therapy of Rogue's, those issues would inevitably come up. However, he had learned for the sake of his own sanity to not worry so much about inevitability. He looked at Rogue and felt the small amount of tension that had risen begin to recede. That was what he found crazy about her; she could be the energizer and the relaxant.

But there was one thing that could trump all of that.

Remy and Rogue heard the soft sound of a vibrating cell phone. They both stopped dead in the hallway. Remy retrieved the phone and saw "Restricted #". From his expression, Rogue could tell that meant one thing.

"Bonjour, Fury," Remy answered his phone, even-toned. Rogue gave his hand a squeeze, not certain what else she should do to comfort him. Hell, she did not even know if that was what he needed right then. Did she just implant a distraction? Would he not be able to focus on what needed to be done now? She let go of his hand, keeping a grip on herself.

"Situation just came up, Gambit. Get your stuff together and be ready to move. Dress for warm weather. I've asked Logan to give you a lift to JFK. Be here in ninety minutes, do you read me?" Fury disposed of the pleasantries. Remy held his tongue, judging by Fury's voice he didn't need any aggravation.

"Oui, loud n' clear," Remy answered he was about to ask Fury about what came up, but the call was disconnected before Remy could even finish his sentence. He put his phone back in his pocket and sighed. He rubbed his eyes and looked at Rogue, "Guess we won' be makin' de session today, désolé Chère."

Rogue was not happy in the slightest; very disappointed, not in Remy but Fury. He was taking Remy away for something dangerous no doubt. But this was Remy's life for the time being, and at that moment he needed support if nothing else. But what could she say?

Remy felt slightly dizzy as his head was swimming through a flood of thoughts. This was his second mission and the way he was leaving this time struck him heavier than it did the first.

"I gotta get ready. Désolé, Rogue," Remy apologized again. Remy's body twitched in the direction of his room, but his feet were rooted to the ground. Rogue did not miss this.

"Ya gonna want any help, Rems? You know, getting' ready?" Rogue offered somberly. Remy's smile perked up, causing Rogue's to do the same.

"Certainement," Remy answered.

Remy retrieved the small duffel bag he used for travelling and stuffed all his essential tools inside. The rest of the contents were a days worth of summer clothing, his trench coat, and his jumpsuit. It didn't take that long to pack. There was not much else to do aside from wait until Logan came to grab Remy. Small talk seemed impossible, and any attempts that Rogue or Remy made at it were awkward and brief. Both of their minds were too occupied with humanity's greatest fear: what they could not see. It was not a matter the dark or hidden, rather it was the unknown.

Remy thought of lighting up, but noticed Rogue make a face when he pulled a cigarette from his pocket. He denied himself that for her sake.

There was a knock on his door and Logan entered. He was in his blue and yellow uniform; he looked like he was spoiling for a fight. He saw Remy and Rogue sitting on Remy's bed together and felt his claws quiver in his arms. He knew he had nothing to worry about between those two. However, he did notice that neither of them looked very chipper at the moment. That he understood more than they realized. But now was not the time to show that.

"Come on, Gambit, let's get moving. Don't want to keep your 'probation officer' waiting," Logan grumbled.

"Oui, dat wouldn' be good," Remy put on his best and rolled with it from there.

"Logan?" Rogue got up with Remy, "Can Ah go with you guys and see Remy off?"

Both Logan and Remy gave her odd looks at that, "I don't think it's allowed, Stripes. Fury'd be pissed."

Remy knew Logan was probably right, but he did not have a reputation for being a sly devil for nothing, "What's he gonna do if she jus' comes with us, mon ami? What's de worse she can do?"

"Ah know Fury's worried about secrecy and all, but Ah'm not stupid enough to talk about anythin' Ah see," Rogue fixed Logan with that stare she knew he'd cave under. It took a couple of seconds, but Logan cursed and gave in.

"Your ass, Gumbo, if Fury gets pissed," Remy gave him an innocent smile. He turned to Rogue and gave her a wink when Logan was not looking. Then Rogue knew that her being there was what Remy needed.

The trip to JFK was brief in the X-Velocity. Logan and Remy were given access to Hangar six without difficulty, although it did take some convincing from Logan to get Rogue access.

The hangar's command center was bustling much more than the last time Remy saw it. Fury must have meant something catastrophic came up with this amount of people high-strung. Fury spotted them from where he was in the command center and waved them over. He was not too happy about Rogue being there as Logan expected, but it was irrelevant.

"Logan, thanks for getting here quickly. Welcome back Mr. Lebeau," Fury greeted Logan with a handshake, which he accepted. Rogue was shocked and amazed, "Now that you are here we can get moving. The Osprey leaves ten minutes, I'll brief you when we get to the helicarrier."

"De what?" Remy asked, but Fury's attention was diverted before he could get an answer. Remy loaded his bag onto the Osprey and made sure he was all set to go. He did a brief check over all the equipment he kept on his person and counted his cards to make sure he had a full deck of 52. During this time he remained focused on getting ready for his mission. When the order came out for people to get aboard the Osprey his heart fell. Now he had to say goodbye to Rogue. Logan was off probably trying to figure out what was going on, leaving Rogue without her chaperone.

Words eluded Remy at the moment. From what he could tell of his surroundings, he was headed into dangerous territory. Rogue seemed to know this too.

He and Rogue stood inches from each other, both at a loss for words. What is supposed to be said at a time like this? One does not want to sound cliché, fake, or stupid. So many words that could be said, so few that could do justice for the feelings rushing through both Rogue and Remy's bodies.

Rogue's eyes began to well up with tears. Remy was really going headlong into danger, "Ah-Ah'll see ya in a few days, right?"

Remy knew there was the possibility of that not happening, but he did not dwell on it. He could not afford to, "You know you will."

Silence passed between them again. This was so hard to do. Rogue had seen her friends and teammates go off on missions and return just fine. Why was she losing it over practically the same thing?

Remy had left behind people he cared for more than once in life, sometimes he was happy to. This time was not one of those times. Why was it so gut-wrenching this time around?

"Chère I…" Rogue's eyes locked with his again upon hearing that stupid nickname he called her, and she felt her body relax in that gaze of his. And though she did not realize, she was doing the same thing to Remy, "I'll make dat session up with ya when I get back, bon?"

"Okay," Rogue nodded. She dug around in her pocket for something. It was the queen of hearts that Remy gave to her prior to her first session with the new therapy. Feelings were running high and intense. Before Rogue could question herself, she brought the card up to her lips and kissed the card, leaving a purple residue from her lips. She handed the card to Remy, "For luck, you know, just in case… uh… don't blow your hand up or anything."

_WHAT! Why did you say that? That's the last thing Remy needs to hear, he knows not to do that! Why did you kiss that damn card? _Rogue's eyes darted around and she shifted her weight uncomfortably.

Remy held the card in his hand dumbstruck, but happy. Rogue's discomfort was cute to watch as she fumbled around for words.

He was not sure what it all meant, but he took it for what it was. Rogue, his lucky lady, gave his lucky card her lucky blessing. Remy slipped the card into his deck with a smile and turned back to Rogue who still looked like she was going to freak out.

"Rogue," Remy put his hands on her shoulders, and she relaxed again. He pulled her into a hug and held on tight. Rogue settled into the embrace nuzzling her head against his shoulder, listening to his heartbeat, "Merci."

"Lebeau!" Fury called from the Osprey's loading ramp.

"Yeah I'm comin'," Remy called back. He and Rogue broke apart just enough to see each other's face, "Ah'll see you soon."

Rogue nodded. It was getting harder to bite back the tears. Hell, they were ready to burst from the ducts they filled. She kept herself together though. Remy took one last look at her before stepping completely aboard the Osprey. When he disappeared, the floodgates released.

Rogue sobbed silently as the Osprey took off and disappeared. Logan came from behind her and carefully put an arm around her. He never saw her like this, crying for a friend. He knew then more than ever that Remy had a special place in her heart. Though the nature of how special it was a mystery as of yet. Rogue finally realized that it was there and she already missed Remy.


	9. Madripoor

I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any Marvel Characters.

Chapter 9: Madripoor

Somewhere over the Indian Ocean, the SHIELD helicarrier floated through the air en route to southeast Asia. Remy was stricken with awe the when his eyes first fell upon the helicarrier. He had seen many different advanced facilities in his time, but this was titanic in comparison. At the same time though, Remy had to laugh at the irony of this craft. For an organization that prided itself on espionage, SHIELD sure had a conspicuous headquarters.

Once aboard, Fury practically dragged Remy to the briefing room. It was time to take care of business. Remy figured the sooner they got this done, the sooner he could get back to his Rogue chère. He kept the lipstick-stained card she gave him close, hoping he would not have to use it anytime soon.

The briefing room was a small conference room not far from the Helicarrier's command center. It was already set up for what Fury needed to tell Remy. What he gathered from that was time was a factor for the next mission in some capacity.

"Alright, Mr. Lebeau, let me give you the rundown of you next job," Fury began as soon as they entered the room. Remy found his way to a chair quickly. Fury handed him a data pad like the last briefing. He disregarded it for the time being and concentrated on what Fury had to say.

A projector shot onto a screen and began displaying information. Remy saw an island, and a symbol that looked like an octopus. This was a change of pace for Remy, he actually got to see where he was going this time.

"Okay, Lebeau, you're headed to Madripoor. Recently, the terrorist organization known as HYDRA took control of the country, upsetting the political infrastructure of the region in ways you can't even begin to comprehend. Given SHIELD's vendetta against HYDRA we saw fit to begin taking countermeasures against what they now may be capable of," Fury passed Remy a folder with supplemental data, which Remy discarded for the time being.

This was a little extreme for Remy. He was a thief by trade. However, in the espionage business theft is not an uncommon task. The major difference between this operation and the former was the international factor; getting into an pissing match between acronyms seemed just like the thing

"Our countermeasures involved planting some assets inside Madripoor's borders to gather intel for us," Fury continued. This must have been where things got screwy, Remy could see in his face, "For the last couple weeks we were receiving an uninhibited stream of intelligence from each of our assets. Unfortunately one of our crucial assets got made while on assignment."

Fury usually used 'asset' in context to people like Remy. It must have been another person Fury had leverage on.

"If she's an asset, den why don' ya just cut her loose? Ya seem to be ready to do dat if I ever get in over mon head," Remy pined for some details. Fury cutting his losses so long as he got what he needed seemed like standard agency tradecraft.

Fury fixed Remy with a scowl, "Trust me, I would have if I could. But this asset knows how to keep her value. Before she got made she was electronically transferring intelligence she was gathering on Madame Hydra and her advisors. In order to make herself a bargaining chip she put half of the data on a flash drive to deliver to us personally, in addition to memorizing one or two of the important details. You see where this is going?"

It was always intelligence they were after for some reason. If Remy was getting paid for this job that detail would not have bothered him.

"You wan' de intel, you gotta get her out of trouble," Remy answered, he sort of liked the damsel in distress scenario.

"Bingo. All you need to know right now is this: we're going to smuggle into the country via a cargo ship en route to the Madripoor port. Once you're there, you're going to make your way to the Princess Bar. Your contact will meet you there," Fury deactivated the projector and motioned Remy to follow rattling off instructions as they walked, "Once there she'll run through how the mission is going to play out."

"So I'm breakin' someone out of prison?" Remy asked for clarification. If this was the case, he hoped to high heaven that Fury had something better planned than sending him in halfcocked by himself. For one thing, Remy had never attempted a prison break. While he found some humor in the irony of such a plot, he knew any attempt to pull it off would take months of planning and practice.

"If it's necessary, yes. I'll send another asset your way if that's the case. Depending on the intelligence gathered by your contact, I might just send you to the original source of the intel. I won't lose any sleep over leaving this woman rotting in a cell if I can," Fury answered. Whoever this asset was, she sounded like a snake. Remy needed to know who this was.

"Qui est-ce?" Fury fixed Remy with a stare. It was a general rule that the more you know in this world, the harder it was to get out. Given the circumstances, Remy was bound to find out who he might be breaking out.

"Raven Darkholme. You know her by her other name, Mystique," Fury answered.

"Baliverne!" What were the odds of Rogue's mother being involved with Fury and Remy possibly having to break her out?

"We don't have the time for the runaround, Lebeau," Fury snapped at Remy, "We're getting close to the _Eagle's Shadow_. Any other questions you have are going to have to wait until you meet your contact. Are we clear?"

"_Cristal_, Monsieur Fury," Remy held his tongue beyond that. He did not need to be in hot water with Fury in addition to the list of illegal things he was set to do. He did not even know for certain what his mission was. Spring a prisoner or steal more intelligence?

Fury led Remy out to the main deck of the Helicarrier onto a black hawk helicopter. They were very low to the ocean at the moment, hovering over a small cargo ship with the name _Eagle's Shadow_ painted in big white letters across its portside. It was nondescript beyond that. It had multiple cargo containers piled across its own deck, making it easy for people to hide from aerial surveillance if they could not get below deck fast enough.

As the black hawk hovered over the _Eagle's Shadow_, Fury handed Remy. He handed Remy an earpiece like the one he used on the last mission and then handed him a rope.

"Keep this on at all times until the mission is complete!" Fury shouted over the rotors, Remy nodded as he put the earpiece in immediately. He slid the datapad Fury gave him into his bag, and slung his bag over his back, "Remember: Princess Bar in Lowtown! Alright Lebeau, get going!"

"Gee, merci," Remy grumbled.

Remy held the fastrope tightly and looked out of the helicopter making sure they were actually over the ship. When he felt comfortable enough, Remy jumped on to the rope and slid down fast. The landing wasn't exactly soft, but he made it on his own two feet. The crewmen of the _Eagle's Shadow_ waved the helicopter away as soon as he was clear. He was officially deployed.

About a day later, the cargo ship arrived in the Madripoor port. The air was humid like the rest of the region. Remy was dressed in his civies; a pair of tan cargo pants, a grey t-shirt, and an olive short-sleeve button-down. He wore a pair of sunglasses to avoid any attention his eyes might attract. He got past port security without any incident. There was a heavy military presence around the docks. The new regime Fury mentioned must have been taking an aggressive route to gain control of the country.

They did not give Remy a second look, nor did they most of the people coming into the country.

Remy knew of Madripoor's non-extradition policy from tales his père told him as a boy about how members of the Thieves' guild would often flee there from the other governments they stole from. It was an effective in-between for thieves trying to get back into the States without raising a bunch of red flags.

Remy pulled up a map of the city on the data pad Fury gave him to find the Princess Bar. Once he got its location he made his way into Lowtown. In this part of town, Remy was able blend in well with the crowds. A lot of these people were criminals, like him. He could tell what type of criminal people were just by the way they looked and carried themselves. Even where people hung out (location, elevation, etc.) was an indication to their status in the criminal world.

There were beautiful women who slid through the streets. Some were typical prostitutes, others Remy might have mistaken for that at a glance. Most of these women were grifters who preyed on the unfortunate tourists who wandered too far from Hightown. Remy spotted men who followed the same craft. There was always a select few who were better actors and actresses than anybody in Hollywood could ever hope to be. Many were amateurs as far as Remy was concerned.

Other criminals were easier tell-tales. Drug dealers, pickpockets, loan sharks, killers… this part of Madripoor crawled with them. The big men who hung around back alleys flashing knives and guns were muscle trying to climb the criminal ladder. These strong-arms would not go far in that respect. Many did not have the brains for such ambitions. Those that did… maybe someday they would go higher.

The men the muscle worked for on the other hand _would_ go higher; the people who do the hiring usually are the ones with the brains. These were the masterminds. Remy could spot a few of these in the streets, but many of them would keep to the shadows and out of sight. On restaurant balconies, Remy saw a few masterminds overseeing their crews or discussing business with their fellow "businessmen".

Remy saw self-styled gangs lurking around the streets. Despite their believing they were independent, they probably all worked for the same dozen or so crime kingpins that ran this world. If all these gangs were really their own factions, the current regime would be working overtime to control the anarchy that would ensue.

Remy suspected that the heads of Madripoor's criminal underworld resided in Hightown, away from the dangers they insinuated. Crime was a business to these leaders, and anarchy was bad for business. Some level of control was necessary for everyone to turn a profit. Remy knew from his own dealings that those who sought to upset this balance simply disappeared if they weren't strong enough.

As crazy as this world was, Remy felt right at home. After being away from it for this long, he found that scary.

At one point on his way to the Princess Bar, Remy spotted a scrawny boy scurrying around amongst the various people. He could not have been more than ten years old. Remy saw the boy case him; he was a pickpocket, and very amateur. Remy was able to discreetly make eye contact with the boy behind his sunglasses and knew that the boy was going to try his hand at Remy.

Remy smiled and took a small detour down and abandoned alley, making sure that the boy followed him. In a matter of seconds, much to Remy's shock, he felt the boy's hand around his back pocket. He was quick; he had potential. Just as the boy was about to cop a wallet, Remy whirled around and grabbed the boy's wrist firmly so he couldn't get away.

"Please don't hurt me! I-I-I wasn't going to do it!" the boy shouted trying to feign innocence, even faking tears. Remy smiled, much to the boy's surprise. Remy knew this one came from poverty, and probably had to scrape by with what little he had.

"We both know you were garçon. And you might have been successful too," Remy released the boy's arm and knelt down to his height, "Why you tryin' to rip folks off?"

"Me and my sister are hungry, Mister. Nobody wants to give us money for food. You think you could spare some change," the boy asked. Remy saw in this boy's eyes, and heard in his tone he was not lying.

"Non," Remy answered, much to the boy's sorrow. The boy bowed his head, defeated, but Remy placed a finger on his chin and forced him to look up again, "I can do one, better. Come close, and I'll let you in on a secret of de trade."

The boy eyed Remy cautiously and once he looked into his eyes all of a sudden he felt like he could trust Remy. He whispered something in the boy's ear, showed him a couple of hand motions, and led the boy back out to the street.

"Take your pick," Remy instructed the boy. He watched as the boy cased different people, picking his target carefully. He pointed to some gangly old man wandering the streets, but Remy shook his head. The elderly were easy targets, but rarely deserved to be. He pointed the boy to a strongman who just got done hustling some poor soul for what little they had. Remy smiled at the karma effect of this situation, "Do you think dat man earned what he jus' took?"

The boy shook his head nervously, "Den what are you waitin' for?

The boy looked up at Remy, unsure of himself, as most amateurs were. Remy gave the boy another smile, "You got de spark for dis sort of thing, garçon. Go on."

Remy watched as the boy made his move. He was about half the size of the man he was going to loot. Like a viper's strike, the boy's hand was in and out of the man's pocket without so much as a twitch of suspicion. The boy scurried back to Remy holding a wad of American twenty and fifty dollar bills and the man's wallet.

"My sis and I can eat for two weeks on this!" the boy jumped with joy, Remy smiled and rubbed the boy's hair.

"Get on home den. Keep dat secret to youself," Remy scooted the boy off. He followed him until he was sure the boy was safe. If his contact was at all miffed that he arrived late, Remy planned on just saying he got lost. That whole event kept Remy in good humor for the rest of his walk to the princess bar.

When he finally reached the bar he was struck by the sheer contrast it had to the rest of Lowtown. There was a distinctive elegance to it that Remy bet even the patrons of Hightown would find charming about it. As he got closer he could smell the kitchen; whatever they were cooking in there smelled really good. Remy pocketed his sunglasses and waltzed on in.

The Princess bar was much more beautiful on the inside than Remy would have thought, considering the slum it was in. The bar had a mix of eastern and western themes about it, from the architecture down to menu. The place was light enough to see clearly, but dark enough to add an air of intimacy. The way it was lit, it looked as if everything was draped in a faint shade of red and yellow.

The bar itself was immediately on Remy's left as he entered. The dining room was a little further in. The Princess Bar even had a stage, currently not in use. Remy saw stairs in the dining room labeled to lead people upstairs to the gambling room. Right next to the stairs, there was a door. From the floor plan Remy had in the data pad, he knew the private rooms were there.

Remy was tempted to go up to the gambling room, knowing full well he could clean a poker table out before the day was done. Instead he took a seat at the bar and ordered himself a bourbon drink. He had a job to do. He did make a mental note to come back here on his leisure sometime.

The bar's inhabitants were of the same make-up as the streets, and even had some upper-class patrons to boot as Remy guessed. The atmosphere, the feeling, the look, and the hustle and bustle of this joint reminded Remy of what Rick's was in the movie Casablanca; a place where deals were cut and hearts broken, where intrigue was on par with the food and in more variety (1).

He sat at the bar patiently waiting for his contact to meet him. He had no idea who they would be, but something told him that Fury had this set up so he'd know when he saw them. Remy turned back toward the bar and sipped down his drink. He noticed a photo against the mirror behind the bar. When he peered closer he swore he recognized the scruffier man in the picture, the eye patch the man wore threw him off though.

Before Remy could discern who it was a tall, clean-cut, broadly built man sat next to him, "Just water please."

_No way._

Remy recognized the deep voice and nearly choked on his drink. There was no mistaking a man with that kind of Russian accent.

It was Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin, aka Colossus.

"Piotr?" Remy stammered, shocked. Piotr's blue eyes widened and he turned to see his old teammate sitting next to him. What were the odds?

"Remy? What are you doing here?" Piotr asked in just as much shock as Remy.

"I should be askin' you de same thing," Remy answered, a little more nonchalant.

"Not your concern," Piotr answered briskly. Remy could see things between them were still somewhat cold, despite being on a first name basis. Piotr never took kindly to Remy breaking up his and Magneto's fight, despite how necessary it was, "Interesting coincidence meeting you here…comrade."

"Jus' takin' care of some business for a friend of mine," Remy answered. Piotr raised an eyebrow at Remy. After the Acolytes broke up neither thought they would see their former teammates again, given their diverse backgrounds. Because of this Piotr knew that this was not coincidence.

"Does that friend happen to be Nicholas Fury?" Piotr went out on a limb. Remy nearly choked on his drink again. And gestured to Piotr to keep that quiet.

"You shouldn' be tossin' a name like dat around lightly," Remy cautioned Piotr.

"So you _are_ here because of him," Piotr eyed Remy cautiously. This made things very interesting.

"And you just happen to be passin' through? I don' buy it Pete," things had gotten real weird, real fast. Fury knew how to pull a fast one.

"Fury thought you wouldn't," a new voice said from Remy's other side. It was a woman's voice, Russian as well. Remy swiveled on his seat and saw a stunning redhead sitting next to him wearing a tight, black, leather jumpsuit, "Piotr's here for the same reason you are Gambit. I'm Natalia Romanova, Black Widow, your contact."

Despite the sudden shock of the situation, Remy kept his cool and nodded.

"Follow me. One of the rooms has been prepared for us," Natalia left money for both men's drinks.

She led Remy and Piotr to one of the private rooms near the back of the bar. Remy nor Piotr spoke a word to each other. It was kind of awkward. Inside were a table, a couple mattresses, a big screen television, and a bunch of surveillance and field equipment. The windows shades were drawn for obvious reasons.

"Alright, Fury briefed you both prior to you entering the country so I can cut to the case," Natalia began, "As you both know Raven Darkholme was recently arrested on charges of espionage. At this point all our current intel suggests that we can't get to the information we want without her. So you two are going to be breaking her out so we can retrieve the data she stashed."

That was not what Remy wanted to here. The last thing he wanted to do was help break Rogue's crazy mom out of a place she deserved to be. As hypocritical as that sentiment was, Remy knew Mystique deserved to rot in a cell for what she did to his Chère. But this was something he could not back away from. He was cursing in his head how Rogue would react upon learning about this. How would this affect her new therapy? Would she still want him to help her after him helping the person she hates the most?

Piotr saw his former roommate pull a cigarette from his pocket, like it was a response to Black Widow's words. Was he stressing about the mission?

"At this point, we know Mystique is being held in a government building in Hightown. You two will be working together on the inside to extract Mystique. I'll be providing sniper support as needed. Now pay attention because I'm only going to say all this once," Natalia said tersely. She was much stricter in her briefings than Fury was. This mission did not have much originality about it in regard to the basic plan. It relied a lot on misdirection. A completely covert operation was out of the question; since neither Remy nor Piotr was a teleporter, they were going to have to make a little noise. They were breaking into government building for Pete sake.

After an hour, Natalia finished up the briefing, confident that her two operatives were ready to pull this off, "Now get some rest. The mission begins in a few hours."

Remy went over the information in his head making improvements to it as he went. He kept these to himself, feeling Natalia was likely a control freak and would shoot down his expertise.

There was a stiff silence between Remy and Piotr that neither was comfortable with. Tension here was born out of the chaos of everyone going their own direction when Magneto "died" and some people not coming back when the world was up against the wall.

Remy figured he could be direct with Piotr and decided to get some questions answered. The silence was murder

"So, like old times, non?" Piotr just grunted. Remy pulled out his deck of cards and began to play a game of solitaire, "Tell me somethin' Piotr, how's a guy like you get involved with a snake like Fury?"

Piotr sighed. It was not something he liked to dwell on, but he would do it again in a heartbeat, "My sister. When our parents died, I turned to some bad men for money to pay for her medicine. Unfortunately, as you can imagine, things did not get much better. Ever since Magneto took away our protection, I've had to spend every waking minute protecting her. I could not get enough money to pay off my debts and pay for Illyana's medicine. Fury made me an offer I couldn't refuse."

"Dat so?"

"Da. In exchange for doing some work for Fury, my sister would go into protective custody until SHIELD can deal with the men who would hurt us," Piotr's story made Remy feel even worse about his own reasons for being involved with Fury. Here was a man who had lost most of his family, tried to do the right thing, and was making a selfless sacrifice. Remy looked at himself and saw something much worse. He had a big family still, but he walked out on them. He committed crimes out of greed, for no other reason than to satisfy that greed and a hunger for thrills.

"And you, comrade?"

Remy sighed and answered, "I did some bad things, Pete. Now I'm makin' up for dem. I'm tryin' to change."

Piotr filled in the blanks for himself. He figured it was something related to Remy's life as a thief. He was not entirely sure about Remy's claim he was turning over a new leaf. Most criminals Piotr knew tended to relapse into their old ways. Only time would tell in his opinion. Even so, he felt more confident about doing this mission with someone he was familiar with. The two former acolytes had some understanding of how the other worked during missions.

"I'm glad you were able to get you sister back, mon ami," Remy said before going back to his game of solitaire.

"Me too."

The silence resumed between them, but it was more bearable now. Remy went over the information he had on the mission, trying to not get distracted by his personal qualms about their objective. He wished there was someway to keep that witch from getting out into the world where she could hurt Rogue again. But it looked more and more unlikely as Remy went over things. Before his thoughts could wander much farther, Piotr struck up conversation, much to Remy's surprise.

"If you don't mind my asking, where were you during the fight with Apocalypse? We could have used you, friend," Piotr laid down on his mattress trying to get comfortable. He called Remy "friend".

Remy sighed, it was another thing he was not proud of. He saw the fights around the world on the news, cursing he could not be there for his Rogue.

"Family issues I couldn't get away from. You can understand," Remy answered vaguely. Piotr did understand. Family was not something everybody talked about freely, for various reasons. Recent loss, tension between members… there were plenty of justifiable reasons, "Let's just say its part of de reason I'm here now. Not to say nothin' good's come out of it."

"What do you mean?" Piotr asked. Remy finally smiled a Mona Lisa smile; a mischievous teasing smile.

"We survive dis mission, maybe I'll show ya, bon?" Remy saw the queen of hearts with Rogue's blessing amongst the cards he was playing solitaire with.

"I'll hold you to it," Piotr said before dozing off.

Remy smiled as his friend snored. He missed her and could not wait to return to her. Why was that? Why her and not just the institute in general?

He really cared for Rogue. That was all the reason he needed for wanting to go back to her.

_Nine hours later_

Night had fallen upon Madripoor. In the neon city center of Hightown, Remy was standing on a building across the street from the target building. The orange neon light from the building's big sign concealed him from anyone who may look in his direction. He was suited up in his jumpsuit and had all the equipment he would need strapped to a harness he had in lieu of his trench coat. It was too humid for the damn thing.

He pulled out his binoculars and scanned the street below. He saw Piotr was already in position ready to initiate his part of the plan. Remy did a visual check of the government building. It was much shorter than the building Remy was perched on. Insertion would be simple.

"Gambit, I've spotted a pair of guards on top of the building. The next period of radio silence will begin in two minutes. Over," Natalia chirped over Remy's earpiece. That meant they had ten minutes to work until the entire building knew that there was something up.

"Got it," Remy answered. He clocked two minutes in his head and made his move. He lined up his target and shot out his zip line to the adjacent building. When he was certain it was set, he wasted no time getting over there. The angle and the distance left a large margin for him to pick up speed, making Remy thankful the zip line had brakes of some sort. As soon as he landed he disengaged the line from where he was, charged it and set it to retract itself. The zipline shot back to where he leapt from and shattered as soon as it was far enough away from Remy's position. Normally he did not like disposing of his equipment in this manner, but there was always an exceptional situation.

Instead of dispatching the two guards on the roof, Remy ducked around both and made his way inside.

"I'm in," he reported to Natalia.

"Alright, there should be a maintenance terminal not far from your position. Do what you can to disable the basic security," Natalia ordered. Remy slid along the walls of the corridor he was in. He did not have to worry about being too quiet in the area he was in; the air conditioners were running full blast thanks to the humidity outside. This advantage would only last him while he was around the roof access areas.

Remy went deeper into the building and sure enough he came across a maintenance terminal. After a minute of breaking through the security access, Remy inserted a data stick into the USB and initiated the upload. It housed a generic system virus designed to go after the electronic controls of a building's power grid. The digital age may have raised new security obstacles for thieves, but that just meant they got to use new toys for new vulnerabilities.

When Remy saw the lights flickering, he knew the virus was working. With irregular power surges and outages, the electronic surveillance and security was officially taken out of the equation.

"Nice work, Gambit. The building is putting on a nice light show. Standby for Colossus to make his move," Natalia gave Piotr his cue, and Remy braced himself for things to get a whole lot louder. He hid in the shadows waiting for his next cue.

The two guards on the roof rushed down from the roof and ran past Remy, not even catching whiff of him.

"Down to the lobby! They got a walking tank on their hands!" one of the guards shouted. Remy heard the clamber of multiple boots hitting marble floors. Piotr's distraction seemed to be doing its job; the more security he attracted to the lobby, the easier Remy could search the building for Mystique.

So far things were going to plan.

Remy waited another minute before moving deeper into the building keeping his senses aware of his surroundings. The floor below the roof access was an office area with tinted glass partitions between cubicles. There was nothing that suggested they kept prisoners nearby, forcing Remy go deeper.

At this time of night, there was likely no one working aside from the security detail. If there was a certain concentration of guards in Remy's path not on their way down to the lobby, then there was a good chance that they were guarding something important more important than a man made of steel smashing his way upward through the building.

Two floors later with no encounters aside from a few lone guards did not make Remy any more at ease. The last thing he wanted was to have to deal with guards on two fronts.

Fortune seemed to smile upon him, in a way.

"Come on, get the prisoner set for transport, Madame Hydra doesn't want her escaping," Remy heard a guard in the distance. He crept a little closer to the source of the voice. He peered down the next corridor and saw about six guards. They all were dressed in grey camies, and wore uniform gas masks. They were not like the other Hydra guards. In fact, Remy would have wagered they weren't even Hydra. They had no identifying marks or patches aside from one of a black circle with a white cross in the middle.

Various reflections off of windows told Remy that the rooms down that hall were interrogation rooms or temporary holding cells. This was it. She had to be here.

"Make sure that shock collar is secure! Evac is arriving on the in five. Let's go people!" Remy cursed in his head. Six guards against him at least, not counting those handling Mystique…

_Maybe it'd work, _Remy took a couple deep breaths. He pulled a couple cards from his deck and readied his staff. The lights continued to short out and come back on abruptly. Remy's eyes adjusted instantly to the shifting light as they always did.

Six to nine guards against one. That was from what Remy could see. They would see that too.

The lights died again. The guards' eyes would only see the dark.

Remy charged the three cards between his fingers and extended his staff. He waited for the lights to die again. He concentrated only on throwing his cards fast and accurate. He could hear the clamor of the guards struggling with Mystique in the backdrop of his heart beating like a drum.

The lights died again.

Down the corridor the guards saw only three glowing cards flying at them.

"What the f-" the cards blew up just short of the guards knocking them into the walls and on their backs. Remy rushed down the corridor doing a head count. That was four down, two-five left. The odds were stacked against Remy still, but this was something Remy could fold under.

Two more guards rushed out into the hallway to investigate, only seeing Remy in time to see his staff arcing towards them. Remy twirled his staff and smacked it across the closest guard's head. The guard was lucky he was wearing a helmet. The next guard raised his gun to fire at Remy but he failed to line his shot up quick enough. As Remy's staff reeled from striking one guard, it snapped back at the other guard's gun.

A couple shots rang out, flying wild. Remy sent a charge to the other end of his staff and slammed it into the other guard's center mass. The concussive impact sent the guard smashing against the corridor leaving a dent in it.

"'the hell is going on out there?" a guard called out from the interrogation room. Remy pulled a mirror from one of the pockets on his harness and got a preview of the room Mystique was in. Mystique was leaned over against a table with a gun to her head. She was clad in her usual black attire, with a black bag over her head (assumingly an involuntary addition to her ensemble). There was a shock collar around her neck also. This was going to be tough.

"Whoever is out there, come out where I can see you with your hands up. I'll put one in the back of this bitch's head if you don't comply in ten… nine… eight…"

_Merde_, Remy put his staff away. This was a bluff he did not want to call. Stress makes people do stupid things. Remy was not always exempt from that rule.

"Alright! I'm showin' mon hands, mon ami," Remy shouted. He put his hands out in plain view and followed with the rest of his body. Remy hoped to God that this guard was an idiot. That would make things a lot easier.

Remy could not discern the guard's feelings behind the gas mask he wore. This would be hard to judge. The guard's hands were shaking ever so slightly. He may not have been stupid, but he might have been a rookie. A rookie would know a prisoner with a bag over their head usually was not stupid enough to try and escape, hence no need for there to be a gun to their head.

"No sudden movements," the guard used his free hand to toss a pair of cuffs at Remy's feet, "P-put them on, s-slowly… Don't think I won't shoot!" the guard shouted.

"Vous êtes calme, mon ami (be calm my friend)," Remy said softly.

"In English or shut up!" Remy knelt down slowly. This one was jumpy and had his finger on the trigger; a recipe for disaster. Just as he was about to slip the cuffs on, Remy's prayers for a savior were answered.

The wall at the back of the interrogation room exploded all of a sudden. There was no intense wave of heat, or force throwing Remy back. All Remy saw was a pair of metallic hands pull the guard back into the cloud of dust kicked up. Piotr had arrived just in time.

"I have them, Black Widow," Piotr stepped out of the dust cloud.

Remy smiled smugly, Black Widow was listening in on him and tracking his position like he hoped. That was the only way Piotr would have known to smash through that wall.

"Thanks for droppin' in, mon ami," Remy flashed a sly grin to Piotr and then went to help Mystique

Remy removed the black bag from Mystique's head and sat her. Piotr's antics caused her to get knocked off balance. Considering her hands and feet were cuffed, that was unavoidable. She was shocked to see them to say the least.

"What the hell are you two doing here," Mystique's heart nearly did a flip in her chest. She only expected to see Magneto's acolytes under the pretense of punishment. Were they that zealous? Remy uncuffed her, but left her to help herself out.

"Fury says hi, comprendre (understood)," Remy said coldly.

"Hmf, SHIELD must be getting desperate," Mystique dusted herself off.

"I would think you'd be more thankful we risked our lives to save yours," Piotr shot her a glare with heated words. It did not affect Mystique in the slightest.

"You haven't saved me. We still have to get clear of this place. Now that you two oafs have kindly smashed your way through a government building we're going to have Hydra forces all over us in minutes," Mystique hissed.

"Wrong, their communications have been scrambled," Remy said, quickly explaining the virus he uploaded, "We don' have to worry too much about dat."

"Gambit, Colossus its Black Widow. Two military humvees and a supply truck just pulled up at the main entrance. You have ten minutes to get out of there before you're all made," Natalia informed them, "Strange… they're not standard Hydra military… Get out of there now!"

"There communications aren't going to matter once they get here, we should go," Piotr urged, "You two can argue later."

"Agreed," Mystique answered coldly. Remy gave her a stern scowl and the three mutants began to make their way out.

As they entered the hallway, multiple Hydra guards came tearing down in the direction Remy came from. He regretted not dispatching them when he had the chance.

"New orders, shoot to kill!" one of them ordered. Piotr instinctively jumped between Remy and Mystique, blocking the gunfire with his body mass. The bullets pinged off his skin. For Piotr, it felt like annoying acupuncture.

"Hold still!" Remy shouted over the gunfire, he pulled more cards from his deck. He pivoted out from behind Piotr and threw in the second he had before they trained their guns on him.

The cards exploded on impact knocking the guards around. Mystique took some of their weapons and then left with her rescuers. The three mutants wasted no time retreating downstairs. They followed the trail of destruction Piotr left in his wake so they did not get lost while being pursued. Piotr took point followed by Mystique, leaving Remy to bring up the rear.

When they reached the lobby, there were twelve more guards waiting for them. They were not Hydra either. They had the same military attire and the same cross-like patch as Mystique's prisoner escort. Multiple laser sights were trained on the three mutants as soon as they were spotted.

"Stay behind me," Piotr muttered to Mystique and Remy. Remy was not sure what he had planned, but he hoped it was good. Fighting was an option, but that was going to get messy. And for all Remy had done in his life, he did not want any blood on his hands if he could avoid it. He knew Mystique would kill a hundred humans if it meant freedom. Colossus? All the guards they passed on their way to the lobby were only dazed and knocked out. He must have been in the same boat as Remy.

Bang! A shot rang out, but it was far off. Glass shattered and a bullet connected with one of the guards' legs. He let out a cry of agony. The other guards began to look around in shock. Everyone in that lobby realized it was a sniper shot.

"Move, now!" Natalia screamed over Remy and Piotr's comms. Mystique cocked the submachine gun she had ready to move. Remy yanked it from her grasp and tossed it. Before she could hound Remy, Piotr began to run straight toward the crowd of soldiers. More non-lethal sniper shots rang out. Piotr pummeled anyone who got in his way while Remy left a trail of charged cards in their wake. Mystique kept her head down between them. A trail of small explosions kept the guards from immediately pursuing.

"Get in the back of the truck!" Mystique shouted at the two former Acolytes. Mystique jumped into the driver's seat of the military supply truck while Piotr jumped in the cargo area. Remy dropped a pair of cards on each of the two humvees that had accompanied the truck before jumping in. Mystique tore off with the two of them in tow, leaving a disoriented scene behind.

Once they were sure they were not followed, they ditched the truck and returned to the Princess Bar.

Black Widow was waiting for them when they arrived. She looked as if she got away from the scene no problem. She debriefed Remy, Piotr, and Mystique before grilling her about the location of the intel she had. She gave it up quickly as the intelligence was of no use to her at this point.

Black Widow instructed all of them to leave the country as soon as they could and departed to recover the intelligence Mystique had acquired. Although he only knew her for a couple hours, Remy could see that those non-Hydra soldiers concerned her. Whatever, Remy thought. They were not any concern to him.

Remy took to the bar, needing something to take off the edge of the job. It was far from the smoothest, but they got Mystique out. That meant he could go home. He could see his Rogue-Chéri.

Mystique did not stick around for long, something Remy was very thankful for. He already dreaded that he would have to tell Rogue that he had to rescue her dear mother from imprisonment to avoid prison himself. Then again, what could he do? It was not like he could say no to Fury.

Rogue had proven she understood what Remy had to for the time being. But this? Her mother was always a touchy subject.

_To hell with it,_ Remy would tell her and come whatever hell may he'd still push to be her friend. Remy's own words came back to him: nothing worth having in this world is easy to get.

Remy missed the good old days, when jobs were simple and the loot even simpler.

Back in the private room Black Widow had reserved for their operation, Piotr was getting ready to leave. Remy walked in just as he was about to depart.

"Leavin', mon ami?"

"Da."

"We make a good team you and me," Remy said. Piotr gave him a slight smile, "I wouldn't have been able to pull dat off without you."

"Da, you're probably right," Piotr tried to hide his smile, Remy allowed himself a laugh.

"Where you headed?" Remy asked as he started to get his own belongings together.

"I don't know. With Illyana in protective custody and home not being safe, I do not have anywhere to go. Not until Fury calls again anyway," Piotr answered. That was rough, Remy knew it. For as stern as Piotr could be, he was living proof that some things really hurt no matter your size, "I suppose I'll see you around, comrade."

Just as Piotr was about to leave, Remy stopped him, "Why don' you come to de institute?"

The suggestion was enough to make Piotr turn on the spot, "Where?"

"De Xavier institute with de X-Men. I'm sort of in Xavier's custody for de time bein'," Remy explained.

Piotr had thought about that possibility around the time Apocalypse was defeated. Hell, he even got an offer, but he had other priorities to attend to at the time. Now? Illyana was in protective custody and he could not go home. He was alone in the world, and worse in a world that hated mutants.

"You think they would have me?" Piotr asked.

"Dey're takin' me on, and you're a saint by comparison," Remy answered. Piotr looked at Remy and back at the exit of the bar. For as strong as Piotr was, wandering around living on what little he had while finishing up his debt to Fury was going to wear him down. Some stability was very desirable.

"Okay."

Within the hour Remy and Piotr managed were back aboard the _Eagle's Shadow_ and out of Madripoor. The ship was full of refugees and the like; seemingly it was not just espionage agents that wanted to get out of the country.

It was going to be a long trip back to the states. Remy got settled in his quarters and collapsed on his bunk. He pulled Rogue's queen of hearts from the deck. Maybe it was the exhaustion, maybe it was the alcohol that was still in his system, but Remy found himself fantasizing about what her lips felt like. He kept thinking about Rogue, how they would be able to make up that lost session, how her hands felt with his…

For as concentrated as Remy was on the mission before, now that he had no distractions his mind kept wandering back to Rogue. When he played Solitaire, when he tried to sleep, his mind kept going back to her. Why? He had plenty of friends but his mind never kept defaulting to them when it was idle. The short time they were away brought about a strange feeling in Remy. He was actually aching for Rogue, for his Chéri.

What did that mean?

He looked at the card again as if expecting to read it like a tarot card. Questions swirled in his mind lulling him closer to sleep. Piotr joined him not long after, just as tired.

_Damn it, why did Fury not give me a sat phone,_ Remy felt that he could not get home fast enough.

**A/N: Thanks for your patience. Sorry if this one is not as up to snuff as usual. Just sort of had to power through it so I could get to the stuff that is coming.**

**Next Chapter: Remy comes home to find a pair of unexpected guest visiting Rogue. Colossus begins a new life at the institute. And to top it off, another therapy session. This session may change things for Rogue and Remy forever… no she is not gaining total control.**

(1) "In Casablanca, in the good old days, everyone went to Rick's, where deals were cut and hearts broken. In Madripoor, it's the Princess Bar, where the intrigue's on par with the food, an' comes in a lot more variety." – Wolverine on the Princess Bar


	10. Therapy

**I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any related Marvel properties; this is a story of my own imagining.**

**A/N: Here's the next one. Thank you all for reading and reviewing, with the last chapter I finally broke the 100 review mark. I'm glad that people are enjoying this story, it makes all the more fun to write! Thank you for your patience, school and work have been a little nuts, but I'm on vacation now so I'll be working on the next chapter and hopefully have it out a hell of a lot sooner than this one.**

Chapter 10: Therapy

Nearly three days had passed. 72 agonizing hours or more that Rogue had spent waiting for Remy to return. She was certain he would let her know he was okay at the least. Then again, he was under Fury's thumb. Perhaps he was on a mission that required isolation from the rest of the world. Rogue thought about how idiotic that was; there was always some line of communication.

Her worries made concentrating on class even more difficult. This was worse than the last time Remy was away; this time she knew Remy was in dangerous territory. All she could do is plug through with her other duties though. Tears came while she was on the tarmac, but the worst part of Remy's absence was over; the slow build-up to his departure had passed. His absence still stayed on her mind though.

It was understandable that Remy's status made concentrating on life harder, but Xavier and Logan especially would not let her use that as a reason to fall behind in her schoolwork or activities at the institute. For the first day, Logan made everyone go through two training simulations at different points of the day. A healthy distraction was as good as any to keep people's eyes on the road ahead. That worked for Sunday. When Monday came, Rogue had school at the very least. As much effort as she put into school, she still wondered about Remy. Who would not in the same position?

On a rainy Tuesday, after school and training, Rogue returned to her room. She was well-aware of Logan's efforts to keep her occupied, but it was not his job to make sure she did not sulk in her room, alone. Thus the benefits of having friends; misery calls for company of some sort.

Rogue was lying on her bed when Kitty knocked on her door, a rare occurrence.

"Rogue?" Kitty whispered through the door. She too was going through some hard times of her own. It had been weeks since her breakup with Lance and while she was loads better, she was still having trouble with the whole acceptance step of healing. She was caught between deep depression and that final release. It was something Rogue had helped her through so far. Looking beyond her own misery, Kitty figured she could be there for Rogue just as she was for her when the troubles with Lance were coming to a head.

"Heh, ya knocked," Rogue giggled a little as she opened the door. The last quip even got a slight smile out of her. That was a good sign. Kitty was looking better than she had been. The bags under her eyes from tears and lack of easy sleep had made receded fully. There were still traces of a deep funk, but they too were disappearing by the hour. Rogue made this observation herself, having seen the progression of Kitty's mood, "You're lookin' betteh."

"I'm feeling better," Kitty replied taking a seat on Rogue's bed, "I'm just, like, still in this weird place."

"Ah know what ya mean," Rogue sniffed and gave Kitty a smile, who sent one back. Anguish did not become either young woman.

"I figured you would, Remy being away and all," Kitty let his name slip, catching Rogue a little off-guard, "What? You did a complete mood-swing after Remy left. It wasn't that hard to figure out why you've been all down."

Rogue's mouth hung open; she was not sure what she was supposed to do with that. For being one of the most distant and aloof residents at the mansion, she was easier to read than she thought. It must have come with time for Kitty.

Kitty did not know of the true nature behind why Remy was gone. When she asked other students, the answers usually consisted of "parole officer", theft, or in Scott's case, "not your business". All she could figure it was something serious enough to make Rogue sad.

Hearing her state described by another forced Rogue's thoughts to think back to the revelation she had on the tarmac. That special place in her heart that she knew now belonged to Remy. If it was not Remy's absence that was keeping her mind occupied, it was that discovery. It was something Rogue made a point to keep to herself and put to the side for the time being. More so, there would be time to delve into that later. More what ifs and mysteries were the last thing Rogue wanted on top of Remy's current status.

In short, and less complicated, she was just a friend to Remy. That was working well for them. Even with that, what were the chances that Remy felt like that about her?

"Hey, you know he's going to be fine, right? If there's like one thing Remy's good at its taking care of himself," Kitty tried to reassure her friend, all the while wondering why she was so bent out of shape about Remy being away, "What trouble could he be getting to that he can't handle?"

"Ah know Remy's good at what he does. Ah just wish he could let me know he's okay," Rogue admitted.

"Is it really that serious?" Kitty asked, trying to keep Rogue's eye contact. When Rogue did not answer right away that was all the answer Kitty needed, "It is isn't it. Well, this is life for people like us, Remy isn't any different. Everything tends to work itself out though. Right?"

Rogue did not deny it. Kitty was sometimes too intelligent for her own good, but Rogue was glad she was there. It was then that it clicked for Kitty; why Rogue was bent out of shape. Remy taking her to Louisiana helped her get rid of some of the mental baggage she was carting around at the time. With Remy being away taking care of whatever it was he had to, Kitty figured Rogue must have felt helpless with being unable to help him.

"Ah suppose," Kitty did have her there. There more times than Rogue could count on her hands when things had become astoundingly bad for them all, but somehow by the stroke of God or some force of nature they weathered it. Time and time again they weathered it, "Thanks, Kit."

A smile came back to Rogue's face. She was a little more confident about Remy coming home safely. That place in her heart reserved for him, there was a hint of need. It was subtle and remained behind the curtain of mystery that still shrouded what was really there.

"So, what do you think of him? Remy that is," Rogue asked. Kitty shrugged and thought on it.

"He's like a total ladies man. I don't think he's my type, former bad guy-thing. He's cute, but unfortunately he is very much aware of it. I wouldn't be surprised if he wears that jumpsuit just to show off his tight little-"

"Kitty!"

"What? Like you didn't sneak a peek at him during the sparring session a few days ago," Kitty giggled. Being single again did have its advantages, guilt-free checking out not being the least of them.

"No, Ah didn't actually," Rogue felt a laugh coming on. She did not expect Kitty's opinion to be so... intimate.

"Liar… I know you peeked a little. Every girl here has…well, definitely not Jean. Or Storm… I think," Kitty put that thought to rest before her mind went of its leash and went where she did not want.

Rogue could not help herself and began to laugh with Kitty. The way she phrased it brought back recent images of Remy having his ass handed to him by Tabitha. Kitty was not kidding about the whole target thing

A few hours later, the rain was still falling and night was falling with it. Dinner had come and gone and Rogue was alone in her room again, in a better mood. As opposed to dreading about Remy's absence, she was looking forward to his imminent return.

Over in the corner of her room sat her acoustic guitar. It had collected some dust over the last couple months, unsurprisingly. Rogue dusted it off and began to pluck at the strings as she used to before life had become more complicated for all mutants. It was like riding a bicycle. The dexterity had not escaped her hands, and before she knew it, she was playing an acoustic cover of "Fortunate Son". It made her think of the south, of her last home with Irene. Despite where life had taken her, Rogue still felt like her heart belonged down south.

She hung the guitar up on its stand again as a ray of light ran across her room. She looked out her window and saw a car pulling up the main drive. Without a second thought Rogue rushed down to the foyer, anticipating Remy to be coming through the door. When she reached the entrance way she saw Logan accompanying Xavier to the door. Rogue's heart sank a bit realizing that it was not Remy coming home. She nearly lost her breath upon seeing who came through the door however.

"Irene?" Xavier and Logan looked up at Rogue in shock. Rogue was not supposed to know she was there yet. It made the situation all the more complicated when a second woman came into the mansion behind Irene. Mystique, by what had to be a trick or some sick twist to Rogue, was there inside the mansion with her, "What are you doing here?"

Rogue was too shocked to check on the message that was vibrating in her pocket.

* * *

The day after Remy's and Piotr's mission in Madripoor, they were picked up off of the _Eagle's Shadow_ by osprey, compliments of Fury. It was a long trip back to the states, but shorter than it would have been if they continued the journey by sea. In hindsight, Remy and Piotr figured that Fury did not want to risk either Remy or Piotr getting jammed up with TSA or customs more than anything else. They would be useless assets if they got held up on some allegation.

"So what was the good thing that's come out of you staying with the X-Men?" Piotr asked at some point during the flight. He had spent most of the flight buried in a journal or something of his. Remy could never get a clear look at what Piotr was working on. Chances were that it was private, but that old thieving curiosity never would change.

Remy remembered he promised Piotr he'd show him that his time at the mansion has not been just another prison stay.

"When we get dere," Remy assured him.

They landed back at JFK after having to circle the landing pad for twenty minutes. The rainy weather was throwing the pilots off. When they finally landed they were escorted to the hangar six by a squad of SHIELD agents. They were all soaked in the time it took to walk from the helipad to the hangar.

"Home sweet home," Remy quipped to Piotr as the rain beat down on their heads.

Fury did the usual extended debriefing with them. Again, there was no indication as to the future implications of their mission, but neither young man was concerned with that. In Remy's case, he just wanted to put his Chéri's worries to rest.

As Piotr was being debriefed by Fury, Remy got his cell phone out and shot a text off to Rogue.

'I'm in the states, ma chéri!'

Remy waited for her response but none came. That was not right. If the last time was any indication, barely ten seconds passed before Remy got a response on his last trip. In spite of himself, he resisted sending another message; he was not one to appear desperate.

_What are you worried about feelin' desperate fo'? 's not like you're… you're just friends, Remy. Pourquoi tu as envie penser qui différente? _

Despite his firm belief in this, the depth of his care for Rogue seemed rather contradictory in light of recent events. He may not have seen it, but this was the truth.

Anxiously, Remy waited around Hangar Six for Fury to finish up with them and to hear from Rogue. It was not until they were let go that Remy finally got something.

'Remy, get back here fast I need your help.'

Remy went stiff as he read the message and furiously burst into action. He shouted at Piotr to hurry up as he hailed a cab. What the hell was wrong? What had he missed? Remy's mind began to race with questions and worry. Poor Piotr could only speculate as to what had gotten his friend in such a mood so fast.

They piled into a cab and Remy told the cabby to get to the mansion and step on it. When asked what was wrong by Piotr, Remy had no answers. When they reached the gate of the mansion Remy tossed half of the cash he had in his wallet to the cabby, not caring if he overpaid the fare. Something was wrong with Rogue and she was his number one priority in the world at that moment

Piotr's eyes were wide upon seeing the mansion for the first time. Sure he had seen photos of it during his time with Magneto, but the actual sight was charmingly alluring. His thoughts were drifting off to wondering what the beds were like. The last couple months had him sleeping on mattresses on the bare ground, in trucks during the cold Russian winter, and a handful of many other uncomfortable and obscure places. A real bed was something to look forward to for the rootless Russian.

Remy rushed up the main drive, taking note of the limousine parked outside of the main entrance to the mansion. He rushed into the mansion dropping his wet bag just inside the door. He ran first to Rogue's room calling her name as he got close. She was not there. Remy ran to the professor's office next, he would be able to tell him where she was. He passed a couple of the younger kids in the halls as he rushed through the mansion. On accident he bumped into Jamie Madrox, resulting in him getting tangle up in a pile of a bunch of Jamies. After a quick apology to him, rather all of him, he was off again. A fire burned inside him, urging him to go faster until he found Rogue. His instincts proved to be right.

He found Rogue sitting outside of the professor's office, completely shaken. Kurt was there too, pacing. Whatever was going on inside Xavier's office, it was causing them great agony.

"Remy?" Rogue looked up to see a soaking Remy. His hair clung to his cheeks moistly, much like his clothes. He was breathing heavily, telling her he hauled ass to get there. She was to shaken for tears, for anger, for anything beyond saying, "Why can't she just leave us alone?"

Remy made a move to get close to Rogue and comfort her. Kurt was in sour enough of a mood as it was, and did not want to see Remy getting close to her on top of his mother being there. Remy was still lost as to what was going on, waiting patiently for someone to fill him in.

"Zhis doesn't concern you, Gambit," Kurt said coldly, intentionally rubbing Remy the wrong way.

"Kurt!" Rogue hissed at Kurt.

Instead of defying Kurt's desires and going to comfort Rogue, Remy marched strait up to him. He stood at least half of a foot taller than Kurt. He leaned forward and whispered, "Whatever beef you got with me, mon ami bleus, drop it until it's jus' you an' moi. Comprendrez?"

Kurt whispered something in return, "Fine. Just as long as you know we're not cool"

Remy backed off with a disgruntled smile and sat down with Rogue, "What's wrong, Rogue?"

"Mah mother is here," Rogue stammered. She was lost as to what she should be thinking. She told Mystique to stay away, but she could not even do that.

"Damn it," Remy cursed aloud. As if telling Rogue he had to free her mother was not bad enough? Now he may have to tell her when Mystique was around, "What does she want?"

"Ah…Ah don't know," Rogue answered. She was feeling a mix of frustration, confusion, and simple anxiety at the same time. Anger? She did not know.

Remy, being Remy, decided to do something drastic. Before Rogue or Kurt could stop him, he stormed into the office.

"Mystique! What is de meaning of dis?" Remy shouted. Mystique shot him a piercing glare. Her expression changed upon seeing her two children enter behind him.

"Remy, I had those doors closed for a reason," Xavier sighed. This situation was quickly spiraling out of control now that the Ragin' Cajun was back.

"Well, isn't this a surprise?" Mystique stood from her seat across Xavier's desk, Logan's claws unsheathed by instinct, "I did not expect to see you again so soon, Gambit."

That silenced the entire room. Remy looked as if he was going to pass out. Rogue's bewilderment only worsened.

"Everyone sit down," Xavier ordered softly, "Obviously, we have a lot to talk about."

All but Rogue and Remy took a seat around the office. Remy was in a bit of a shock from being outted like that.

"Remy, what is she talkin' about?" Rogue asked. He was at a loss for words. These were less than desirable conditions to talk about his last mission. Rogue asked again, more forcefully, "What is she talkin' about?"

Remy still was trying to figure out how to say it. It became increasingly difficult as the pressure piled on. All eyes were upon him.

"If you don't tell her, Gambit, I will," Mystique threatened. Remy did not give her the satisfaction though. He did what he was good at, playing things cool. He took a deep breath and spoke.

"What am I supposed to tell her, Mystique? Dat I pulled you're sorry butt out of a HYDRA prison or go to prison myself? Dat your de one dat's getting dere screws turned for a change?" Remy said. He turned to, "Don' think for a moment dat I wasn' gonna tell you, Rogue. I was goin' to tell you anyway."

Rogue turned away offering no words to Remy, focusing only on Mystique. She could not shake the feeling that nothing good was going to come from this meeting.

"Raven, you're losing focus on why we are here," Destiny chimed in.

"You're right, Irene. Despite what you all think of me, we come with the best intentions," no one expected Mystique to provide words of comfort.

"I'm not sure everyone would agree with zhat," Kurt grumbled, not ready to believe for a moment anything Mystique said was true.

"Believe it or not, I still care for you and your sister. Perhaps my way of showing it has not been orthodox, but I care for you nonetheless. I would not come here if I did not," Mystique's tone was soft, as it always was when she was speaking directly to her children, "The reason I was captive recently was because of some work I was forced into by Nicholas Fury. Charges of international and domestic terrorism trump your ability to say no."

"Interesting, Fury seems to be recruiting a lot of mutants lately," Xavier observed.

"Oui, I worked with Piotr Rasputin to rescue Mystique," Remy interjected, "He's here, by de way."

Logan rolled his eyes off in the corner. Fury sends the boy to bust out a cow and he brings back the farmer.

"Please, let's focus on one issue at a time here," Xavier advised. Mystique took the floor again

"My work for the government is not your concern. I came her because of my friend her, Irene. I'm sure most of you are unaware of this, but Irene here has the ability to see the future," Mystique revealed.

Irene held her hand up, "Mystique tells the truth, but my visions are not as clear as one may think. I knew what Rogue's power would be, but I had no idea when it would manifest. Some visions are definitive and easy to interpret. Others may just be mere possibilities amongst thousands of others. Some are mysteries to this day."

"So that's why we lived way out in Caldecott, why you encouraged meh to dress lahke this," Rogue jumped in, finally realizing that a lot about her life with Irene and Mystique had been arranged for when her powers manifested. "Ah guess it didn't work that well."

"Indeed," Mystique grumbled, "Destiny has seen a future where you and I will need each other, Rogue. I do not know how, I do not know why. She tells me that someday you will come to me because you need to. I care for you, and I… I want to be a better mother to you and Kurt. If that means being there for you when you need it-"

Rogue scoffed at the remark voicing nearly everyone's opinion, "You were only there when it suited you! Why should we believe you? It wouldn't be the first tahme you've lied."

"True, but Xavier already knows I'm sincere. I guarantee you that he's already scanned Irene's mind and confirmed her vision," Mystique said. Xavier did confirm it for everyone else in the room, "No tricks, no lies."

"Why come here just to tell us that?" Rogue asked.

"Its like I said, I want to be a better mother. I want you to know where you can find me if you ever need me," Mystique answered. Rogue and Kurt had to take her words with a grain of salt. With Xavier unable to get into her mind, it made trusting her word very hard, "What do I have to do to convince you two? Rogue? Kurt? What?"

Rogue got up from where she sat and approached Mystique. Remy watched Rogue carefully, clueless as to what she had in mind. Anxiously he watched has he had throughout this heated chat. When Rogue removed her glove, everyone nearly jumped out of their seats to stop her from what she was about to do.

"Rogue don't!" Xavier ordered. The only ones not to flinch were Destiny and Mystique.

"No, Xavier… It is my fault that my relationship with my children necessitates this type of honesty," Mystique bowed her head waiting to have her thoughts ripped from her mind, "Do it."

Rogue hesitated at first. All other times she and Mystique had come into contact it was either by accident or against the latter's will. She lightly touched her mother's forehead. It was not enough to knock her out, but enough to tell her what she wanted to know. Rogue swayed on her feet a bit before regaining her balance. Mystique was a little dazed but still was kicking.

"She's…she's telling the truth," Rogue said barely above a whisper, utterly amazed. Everyone was surprised, but could not be blamed, "Ah almost don't want to believe it, but... heh, she's tellin' the truth."

Mystique smiled a genuine smile, free of malice. It was the rare smile that must have been reserved for when she was not being her usual self (as sad as that seems), "Does this mean you two will give me a chance?"

Kurt spoke up first, "Only if Rogue wants to also. Ozherwise, forget it."

Rogue met her mother's yellow eyes and delivered, "Ah still need mah space. You need to respect that. If you can do that, then… we'll see. If you can't-"

Mystique perked up more, "I understand. Thank you, Rogue. Thank you, Kurt. I… I won't let you down."

She got up and took a few steps toward Rogue, but stopped a few feet short. Rogue's glare made sure of that. She must have really meant she really needed space. The time for Mystique to prove herself had already begun. As such, she kept her distance immediately.

"Thank you, my children. I really hope that we can make this work," Mystique kept her head down, as if she was trying to hide her face, "Rogue? You know how to contact me now."

"Yeah," Rogue confirmed, the information from the brief absorption was still fresh. She saw Mystique looking weak for once. It almost made her pity the woman.

Mystique exchanged bitter farewells with Xavier and left in a bittersweet mood. Xavier dismissed everyone so they could process what just happened. Kurt ported away and Rogue stormed out, followed closely by Remy.

Back in Xavier's office Logan was the first to break the silence between him and the professor, "Never thought I'd see that."

"Nothing is absolute," Xavier concurred, "You want to go fetch our newcomer. I get the feeling this is going to be a long night."

Remy had to jog to catch up with Rogue. He was not certain if it was safe for him to be approaching her right then, considering Mystique's psyche may have been still swirling around up there. The idea of a Mystique-Rogue alone was unpleasant.

"Rogue?"

"Remy, Ah need to be alone right now. Ah'm glad you're back, but Ah got a lot on mah mind. So please… just go," Rogue said solemnly.

"I had no choice in de matter! Ya know what happens if I tell Fury no," Remy muttered.

"Ah know, Remy."

"We said we'd be dere for eachother. Dat's all I'm tryin' to do!"

"Ah know, Remy."

"If you know, den why-"

Rogue rounded on Remy. It was all to much to process.

"JUST GO AWAY! AH NEED MAH SPACE! WHAT PART OF THAT DON'T YA UNDERSTAND!" Rogue had snapped. Remy actually looked afraid. The hair stood up on the back of his neck as he bore into the sight of Rogue. Her ruffled brow, her eyelids open wide, an a slight twitch in her lip made Remy prepare himself to jump out of the way.

"Je suis désolé, Rogue. Désolé." (I'm sorry…sorry)

"Ah know, Remy. Ah know. Just please…go. Now," Rogue's voice began to shake. Mystique's underlying anger still was inside of her. Remy could not be certain if she was mad at him or trying to protect him from the temporary short fuse she had. In truth there was a lot that Rogue had to work through: the uncertain future with her mother, how she may possibly need her in the near future, Remy, and that special place in her heart for him.

Remy's face fell as he silently slinked away. This was not the homecoming he expected. And just like that, Remy was clueless as to what he ought to do about Rogue. It was just another slap in the face revealing how much his knowledge about women was useless when it came to her.

* * *

Back in their limousine, Mystique thought hard on what she and Irene had just accomplished. After all that had happened perhaps Rogue could find forgiveness.

"You're certain this was a good idea?" Destiny asked.

"It was your vision that made this necessary," Mystique answered, "The survival of my children is my first priority."

"As always. But don't you think you've been overzealous in the past? How will this be any different? Should we not have told them more?"

"What do your visions tell you now?" Mystique asked. Destiny was silent, "Your visions told us what we needed to do to plan accordingly. For the first time everything will depend on Rogue, free of our own machinations from here on. Telling her more would have discouraged her to take the chance she just did. There are instances, Destiny, when too much information is worse than too little."

"I hope you know what you're doing Raven. One more betrayal of their trust, one more slip up-"

"I know, Irene!" Mystique snapped at her friend. She paused for a second before taking a calmer tone. Destiny was more than right about this, "I know."

* * *

Back in Xavier's office, Piotr explained his situation to Xavier. He started with what he did after the battle against Apocalypse and ended with his most recent escapade with Remy. His word was genuine, not that he was stupid enough to lie to a telepath. Logan corroborated his story about being in Magneto's service against his will.

"Well, I see no reason why we should not allow you to stay with us," Xavier said happily, "Although, there is one outstanding issue: your deal with Fury. How much longer do you anticipate it will last?"

"Fury says he'll consider my end of the bargain upheld after I do one more thing for him. I do not know when or what it will be," Piotr answered, "I'm sorry if this causes problems."

"You are not one to blame, Mr. Rasputin. And after Mr. Lebeau, I think your situation will be simple to accommodate. If you need anything during your stay, you can talk to me, Mr. Logan, or any of the senior staff," Xavier said, he turned to Logan, "If you would not mind, Logan, could you show Mr. Rasputin to Remy's room. We'll have him sleep there until we can get another room arranged."

Logan grunted and led the way, "Come on, Pete. I'll show you around."

"It's Piotr," Piotr corrected.

Logan shrugged his shoulders, "Sure…"

* * *

Remy was not bothered by the arrangement that he roomed with Piotr for the night. In truth Remy did not plan on spending much time sleeping at all. With all that was happening, the level of stress in his head was keeping him up by itself.

The rain had stopped and the clouds were clearing out, thanks to Storm. Now a bright moon shined down upon the quiet grounds of the institute. It was slightly chilly that night, in part due to the early spring. That did not stop Remy from climbing up on to the roof of the mansion from his balcony to have a smoke after being sent away by Rogue. A few hours passed while he was up there. It was a school night, so the lights out call came down around ten. Remy watched the lights coming from everyone's rooms were swallowed up by the night light engulfing the lawn that they briefly lit. It was just Remy and the moon now. La lune et le gredin, le voleur. That glimmering pearl was the only one Remy had to ponder with. Was Rogue angry with him? What was he supposed to do? Did he do something wrong? Remy had no answers, and neither did the moon at which he stared.

He was certain that women did this to men subconsciously; get in a mood, then tell a man to let them be, let him stew in the dark, figuratively, as he thinks about all the different possibilities of why she may or may not be mad at him. So much for thinking that behavior was exclusive to mother's toward their children.

Try to figure in the probability that they really want comfort when they want space, and one is damned if they do and damned if they do not. Remy had to scold himself to not dwell on the negative underlying thoughts too much. Generalizing only got him into trouble in the past.

Two cigarettes later, Remy felt a vibration in his pocket. He felt around in his pants pocket, to comfortable lying on the roof to get up. It was a text from Rogue.

'You still up?'

'Oui, Chéri'

'Thanks for giving me my space. Talk now?'

Remy did not send a message back.

* * *

Rogue lied on her bed in her moonlit room, waiting for Remy to respond. She had come to the conclusion about some issues during the last couple hours. Her feelings about Remy at the present were put to the side in favor of something more important: their friendship. All friendships had tests. A couple weeks ago, they pretty much reached the point of full-disclosure. For Remy that meant having her to talk to, and for fairness' sake Rogue had come to accept in the last couple hours that it went both ways. It needed to.

She expected Remy would want to talk, but had her behavior put him off too much?

"Psst."

Rogue's eyes shot over to her balcony. She had a window cracked for air circulation, allowing a whisper to slip in.

"Psst, Chéri?"

Rogue bounded off her bed and rushed out onto her balcony, Remy was not there. She looked on the lawn below, nada.

"Up here," Rogue heard Remy's voice again. He was peering over the roof over her, "Bonsoir (good evening/night)."

"Remy! What the-" Rogue was hushed by Remy.

"Shh," Remy gestured to her, "I don' know how good Logan's ears are."

Rogue shook her head, and spoke quieter, "What're ya doin'?"

Remy flashed a smile, "Jus' enjoyin' de view."

Remy knew that was a lie, he could not help himself. It was an inbred, hormonally charged reflex. He just hoped Rogue could not see his tells in this light. To his credit, he was not ogling like some pervert, but he did take a quick peek. Attractive woman plus tank top and pajama bottoms equaled temptation for every man Remy's age, give or take a few years.

"You're such dog sometimes, you know that?" Rogue scoffed, backing up to the railing, seriously doubting Remy's words. She'd get her revenge, "Get down here now."

Remy rolled off the roof and landed gracefully quiet on the stone balcony. Rogue led back inside her room, it was too cold to talk outside. She sat back down her bed, letting Remy join right next to her.

There were no words at first, but the magnetic pull towards the other that they both felt changed that. They met midway in a tight embrace and Remy let the first words come from his mouth.

"Tu me manquais," Remy whispered in her ear.

"Ah missed you too," Rogue whispered back. They breathed each other in. Three days away from the other was torment. Being unable to see, taste, touch, hear, or smell the other hurt them both. Neither could say those words though.

Remy's eyes were closed; he knew what she looked like. She felt warm. He could smell the last traces of shampoo and conditioner in her hair from her morning shower, and the slightest hint of salt from the sweat she no doubt had when Mystique was around. There was no suffocating perfume at this time of night. She felt warm in his arms. Shivers shot across his arms as her hair tickled his neck, teasing him.

He smelt of smoke and rainwater. Through his clothes, she felt a tenseness borne out of what she assumed was hours of pondering. The tips of his fingers were scattered across her back. If he applied any more pressure to a couple of them, they just might have tickled her into a slight jump. She felt water from Remy's silent trek over the roof slide off his skin onto her clothes, and from his clothes onto her skin.

Three days worth of embraces were made up for. This was the homecoming Remy wanted.

Once they fell apart, Rogue shyly smiled. Even in the dark, moonlit room Remy could see the red flare up on her cheeks. With his eyes, he saw her plain as day. Rogue was still unable to find words to say. One, she did not know where to begin. Two, she could not take her eyes off of those glowing red irises.

"I… I'm sorry I did not handle de situation with Mystique better. I think everyone was expectin' you to barge through dat door," Remy laughed lightly.

"Yeah, Ah wanted to. Don't think the shock wore off yet though," Rogue's marvelous smile was a sure sign of forgiveness. She became real serious real fast however, "Listen Rems. You and Ah both know Mystique is a touchy subject for meh. Ah wasn't mad at you, not exactly."

"Excusez moi?" Remy cocked his head to the side like a little puppy.

"Let meh finish," Rogue scolded him lightly, "Ah thought Ah was done with Mystique months ago, then all of a sudden Ah fahnd out that she and Ah are actually goin' to need each other. Ah got a lot of questions now that have no answers. Frustratin' doesn't even sum it up."

"Rogue, de future ain' ever concrete," Remy pointed out.

"Ah know, but Irene seemed pretty certain. Can't believe Ah never knew she was a mutant," Rogue sighed. Remy gave her a nod waiting for her to keep talking. When she did not speak, he pressed the matter ever so slightly. At least, what he considered slight, "Ah'm scared."

"I was too, when mon père needed me," Remy revealed. Empathy, nothing else would soothe right now.

"Really?"

"Oui. Who wouldn' be scared of bein' dragged back into the stuff you fought so hard to be rid of, all because you take a chance to do some good by de people who've done ya wrong," Remy knew exactly where Rogue was coming from, "Like I said when we were rescuin' Jean-luc, 'We could write a book about it'."

"Exactly. Ah can't be around Mystique without wonderin' what her left hand's doin' whahle I watch her right," Rogue hated that above everything else about Mystique. For being her daughter, Rogue could not even trust her own mother, "Ah've seen how Jean and Kitty's mother's are and Ah envy them. Their mothers love them, not just their powers, but them."

"Well, perhaps dis is a sign dat change is comin'," Remy placed a gloved hand over one of hers.

"As much as Ah don't believe it, Ah'm kinda hopin' so. But she has a long way to go," Rogue said.

"So… what does dat have to do with you bein' mad at me?" Remy asked. Rogue knew exactly what it had to do with him. Between all the uncertainty she had about her now-tentative relationship with her mother and the future Irene spoke of, the mysterious nature of her feelings toward Remy were the last thing she needed to contemplate.

"Ah needed you to go away while Ah thought about things. Ah hate it when the voices in mah head become a crowd," Rogue explained part of the story, omitting a very big reason.

"Je suis désolé," Remy ducked his head in shame.

"Ah know you are," another hug made it official.

"Don' forget I'm here for you," Remy whispered, still caught in their embrace.

"Toi aussi (you too)," Rogue answered, holding Remy tighter, "You better get back to your room."

"Non, I promised you somethin' before I left," Remy stayed rooted to the bed.

"We should wait until the professor is able to help," Rogue insisted. Remy shook his head.

"We don' have to do somethin' extreme, Rogue. Just like before. I'll think of a number, you try to not see it," Remy said, "We don't have to stay connected for long. Jus' a touch. I'll even think really hard about it."

"This ain't a good idea," Rogue argued. Remy just smiled smugly.

"Y'know you wanna. We can do this, Rogue," Remy took both of her hands in his, "You don' have to be afraid with moi."

Rogue hands shook, uncertain. Remy repeated his words in smooth French, "Tu n'as besoin pas peur avec moi."

Rogue did want to try again. She had been dying to try it again. Remy wanted to help her with this, he was not afraid. Rogue swallowed her fear and prepared herself.

"Ready?" Remy nodded. She moved her hand toward his face. He concentrated only on the number as he stared into her eyes… those deep emerald gems. When it finally came, the tips of her fingers touching his warm cheek, he felt the similar sensation of his mind being spun around. Rogue removed her hands quickly. It was a quick dose, but Remy still had to catch himself from falling over. Soon all the images of what she absorbed came to shape. She saw images, thoughts, and ideas. She saw a middle aged woman chasing after Remy with a wooden spoon, and succeeding in giving him a good swat across the behind. She saw Remy tossing a card into a guard. She heard his thoughts as he peered down upon her from the roof, seeing little in retrospect.

_Respect you creep, what would Tante Mattie say?_ Rogue nearly hit him for that, but would have her revenge thanks to his memory of a wooden spoon.

All of that, but no numbers. Not a single one. As she examined the memories she received, she realized even the number on the playing card Remy threw was a blur. No numbers.

"Ah… Ah didn't get it. Ah saw no numbers," Rogue gasped. She saw Remy pull himself up. Another hug and Remy was in heaven, "We did it Remy."

"You did it, Rogue," Remy corrected, Rogue did not mind. A victory made the last three days worth it. They sat in another silent stint, amazed at what they had accomplished. It may not have been much, but it was a sign that the therapy. It was actually working. Big risks, big rewards was never truer.

"I'd love to stay and celebrate, Rogue, but I better get back to my room. It's been a long three days," Remy announced. Rogue had to agree. But as Remy stood, he nearly fell over. If not for Rogue's quick action, he would have hit the ground instead of been caught. Rogue's touch must have sapped more energy than they thought.

"I'm okay," Remy grunted, he tried to stand on his own, but he did not get two feet without nearly falling again.

"You're not climbin' while you're lahke this, Rems," Rogue held Remy up and pulled him back to the bed to sit him down, "We'll go through the hall."

"In de middle of de night right past Wolverine? I'd rather take my chances on the roof," Remy argued.

"Even if ya get you're energy back, you're energy back you're exhausted as it is. Ah don' want to find ya cracked your head open whahle climbin' around," Rogue did not budge on her position.

"You sound like my Tante Mattie," Remy chuckled.

"Remy, Ah'm serious… You're not goin' anywhere if you won't go through the hall," Rogue put her foot down. Puzzlingly enough, a shrewd grin began to emerge from Remy's face.

"I guess I'll jus' have to sleep here den," Remy said, rather smug.

Rogue's jaw dropped, "Oh mah God. You planned this!"

"Three days with not being around you Cher, you know I did," Remy snickered like a vizier.

Rogue scoffed and sighed, "Ah'm goin' to get ya back for this Remy, ya know that?"

"Quite fine with me," Remy said, his hand rubbed her bed ever so slightly.

That was not what Rogue expected. She was caught speechless by his gesture, trying to figure out what to make of it. She put her mind back in order as soon as she realized she was blushing beyond belief. Now was not the time to be pondering the possibility that he was…doing what he did best. Her face no doubt betrayed her feelings at that moment.

"Fahne," Rogue caved, kind of, "There's a pillow and a sleepin' bag in the closet."

"Ah, mon Coeur, Cher," Remy said sarcastically. He got himself situated on the ground at her side of her bed. He took off his boots and his shirt, but kept everything else on. Rogue caught herself staring at his well-toned form just as he had her, sans more clothing however. She quickly averted her stare before he caught her though, "Bonsoir."

Rogue shook her head, "Better hope Logan doesn't come knockin'."

She slipped back under her covers after taking one last look at Remy, who was already asleep. Maybe he was faking so she would not try to move him? Exhaustion was more likely. Sleep for her was elusive at first. She thought about what Remy's actions that night, trying to understand them. Her experience with men was not the most enlightened compared to most women her age. As she slipped into sleep, though, she saw a few more of Remy's thoughts rise to the surface of her mind. They were snippets at most but they soon formed something coherent.

Rogue saw an image of herself, unaltered by fantasy, just her in that dark purple dress she wore on occasion. She was smiling, and Remy's voice whispered something in French.

_Elle est tres belle. Je manqué elle… et plus._

Rogue's heart was beating like a kick drum. What did that mean about her and him?

One more question on top of all the others she had that would go unanswered that night. She opened her eyes once more to look down at Remy, uncertain of what to make of his thoughts. Or hers.

**A/N: I'm terribly sorry for how late this one came, life's been crazy for the last month and a half, but I'm on vacation now so I'll be able to focus on this more.**

**I rarely do this but if you people are enjoying this Romy story then might I suggest a couple others you might like (if you haven't seen them already)?**

**Last Chance**** by DancingtilSunset**

**Witch Child**** by UltimateGammy91**

**Or if you like Lancitty try checking out this one**

**College**** by Bowles **

**Next Chapter: Picking up where we left off, Piotr and Kitty meet for the first time outside of a dangerous situation. Anyone notice that Kitty never saw Piotr in his unarmored form during the show? Fast forward a few weeks, Rogue's therapy is progressing. While her worries about her mother have been eased, what about the questions that have replaced that worry? The ones regarding her and Remy's friendship?**

**Two assassin's come to Bayville on personal business. That business is Remy, and anyone who gets in there way.**


	11. Baggage Closest to Home

I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any related marvel properties

Chapter 11: Baggage Closest to Home…

When morning came, Rogue heard her alarm chime in at the usual time. A light groan escaped her mouth as she felt around her night stand for her alarm clock, giving it a slap once she did. As her mind began to awaken with the rest of her body she remembered Remy from the night before. She looked down on the ground to the side of her bed to see only carpet. She looked around the rest of the room discovering she was the only one there. It was all for the best however. If one of the adults found her and Remy in the same room overnight there would be hell to pay. Not to mention having to clarify with everyone in the institute that they were not a couple and nothing happened. Not that anything could have.

She rolled herself out of bed and attended to her usual morning routine. She showered, dressed, collected her backpack, and made for the kitchen for a quick breakfast. She was met with a happy sight when she got there; Remy sat at the kitchen table with his legs propped up sipping a cup of coffee. He wore a pair of cargo pants and a black wife-beater.

"Bonjour, cheri," Remy raised his cup to her.

"Mornin', Rems," Rogue went right behind him and carefully snaked her arms around his shoulders. He knew what it was for, partially. For the session the night before, definitely. Him thinking she was beautiful, not just a friend? Who would not like being told they were beautiful? They quickly broke away as another presence entered the room. Rogue did not recognize the tall, burly man who entered and felt her body tense by reflex.

"Bonjour, Piotr," Remy lifted his mug to Piotr as he entered, noticing Rogue's reaction to seeing him, "Don' be rude Rogue, you remember Piotr her, vrai (right)? De walkin' tank dat helped you all take down Apocalypse? He came back with me."

"Wait… he's-"

Remy gave her the quick version: Piotr was on their side now, doing similar work to him. Rogue nervously reintroduced herself and exchanged the typical pleasantries with Piotr.

"So, uh… ya work for Fury, huh," Rogue said to Piotr. He simply nodded.

Rogue looked to Remy for help, not sure of what to say, "Don' worry, Chéri. Piotr's no criminal. Dat's de truth. Just doin' what he has to, non?"

"Well, welcome to the X-Men," she relaxed a bit.

She went back to getting breakfast before the rest of the X-Men came rushing through the door, with the exception of Kitty. Between all of the teenagers and their appetites, the kitchen could be an island one moment and a circus the next.

She and Remy finished up their meals in quick order as the rest of the residents began filing into the kitchen. Everyone gave Piotr weird looks, for many of the same reasons Rogue did. Surprise, confusion, it was to be expected.

_Students, while most of you were going to bed last night we had a new arrival. Piotr has decided to join us. Let him feel welcome,_ Xavier's voice echoed in the minds of the kitchen's inhabitants. It seemed he anticipated the need for a hasty introduction as most of them had to get to school. Piotr exchanged welcoming conversation with nearly everyone while nervously trying to remain in the background of the morning bustle. His was not to draw attention to himself.

Remy was able to slip him and Rogue out of the kitchen unnoticed thanks to Piotr. He led her quietly by the small of her back

"What are ya playin' at, Cajun?" Rogue asked stopping so Remy could not move her any further.

"Takin' ya to school, Chéri," Remy answered slyly.

"Really," Rogue said unbelieving, "What're you really up to?"

"Isn' it obvious?" Remy said, he closed the distance between him and Rogue. He stroked her chin and whispered in her ear, "I still wan' you to myself for a little while longer."

Like the night before when he rubbed her bed enticingly, Rogue's stomach did a back flip. Were friends usually this generous with compliments? He must have really wanted to make up for those three days without her. Her. Not his fellow residents at the institute, but her. Rogue worked it out in her head figuring that it had to be because they were closer to each other than with most of the other students.

"Typical, ya Swamp Rat," Rogue pushed him away, playfully. She started back toward her room to grab her backpack, turning around to see Remy standing there trying to decide if her response was a yes or a no, "That bike of yours isn't goin' to start itself up."

"Of course, Chéri," Remy chuckled. That sass of hers never failed to make him smile.

Minutes later after they left, the rest of the students began to make for their rides to school. Everyone managed to catch one in time, except for Kitty who was running a little late that day.

"Hey! Wait up!" she called after Jean's SUV, "God, like if I had my license this wouldn't be a problem."

It was about a fifteen minute run to school, and not an easy task when wearing a pair of sandals. With a sigh, she ran to the garage hoping Logan was there to give her a ride. She found someone else entirely though; a tall, bulky, slightly grizzled man with short unkempt hair. His skin may not have been metallic then, but Kitty immediately recognized this man as Piotr.

"Whoa, uh, I mean what are you- er…," Kitty took a deep breath, embarrassed, finally saying, "Hi, Peter."

"Uh, hi," Piotr greeted her, somewhat calmer. He noticed she looked somewhat anxious to begin with, "Are you okay?

"Oh, yeah totally. Is Mr. Logan around? I sort of missed my ride to school," Kitty explained.

"I have not seen him," Piotr answered looking around.

"Ugh… I'm going to be so late for school if I don't get a ride," Kitty said panicked.

"Perhaps…Perhaps I could give you a ride?" Piotr asked scratching his neck nervously.

"Really? You'd do that? Definitely! Thank you, thank you!"

"It's no problem. I have errands," Piotr said modestly. He went over to the Sedan he was taking and opened the passenger door for Kitty.

"You don't have to do that," Kitty phased through the open door and got in. She was not annoyed by Piotr's chivalry, if her smile was any indication.

"I thought it was customary for men to do that in America," Piotr smiled back. He started up the car and began to drive for the high school.

"Well, that's not entirely wrong. Or right," Kitty answered. Piotr gave her a strange look, "Let's just say that America is not as polite as it used to be. But that doesn't mean everyone isn't."

"Uh-huh."

"Thanks again for driving me," Kitty said.

"Sure."

"You don't talk much, do you," Kitty seemed incapable of silence at the moment. Her curiosity was to blame more than anything else.

"It depends… on who I'm talking with," Piotr answered nonchalantly. It got a giggle out of Kitty.

"So what's getting you out of the mansion?" Kitty asked.

"I've been travelling light the last couple of months…very light," Piotr answered, thinking of carrying and abandoning clothes as he came to need them during his time as a nomad, "You're very curious. Anyone ever tell you that?"

"Can you blame me? You sort of just showed up out of nowhere," Kitty pointed out.

"I suppose so," Piotr agreed. They pulled up to the school with about ten minutes to spare. If Kitty hustled she would be able to drop by her locker and get to first period on time like usual.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later today," Kitty phase out of the vehicle, popping back in to say, "Welcome to the family, Peter."

Family… Not exactly how Piotr saw his new comrades. Kitty's words gave him a glimpse into the future though. Perhaps like her, he would find something more than just a place to stay and mutant comrades at the institute.

"Thank you, Katya," Piotr bowed his head.

"Huh?"

He jerked his head back up realizing what he did, "Sorry, my russian slips through occasionally."

"Don't worry about it," Kitty's continuous smile seemed to grow even bigger with another giggle, "See you later."

Piotr watched Kitty until she was safely inside of the building. So far his twelve to thirteen hours at the institute had proven making friends and a new life there would be easier than he thought.

_A few weeks later_

The spring sun beat down on Remy was on the basketball court shooting hoops with Scott while the majority of their fellow residents were at school. It was a pastime more than anything else he never had much of an opportunity to enjoy with his former life in the Thieves' guild. On occasion he would be able to play a game with his brothers and cousins, but those occasions were uncommon.

Remy and Scott were involved in a game of one-on-one, both quickly realizing that their powers requiring accuracy had made them naturals at shooting. It was fairly an even match-up between them.

"What was that you were saying about me not blocking 'de rajin' cajun'?" Scott teased after blocking Remy's shot. He may have needed three more points to win, but he was not going to pass up rubbing something like that in Remy's face.

"Fair enough, mon ami. You don' get lucky twice though," Remy stared him down dribbling low to the ground making sure Scott kept watching his eyes, "You ready?"

Scott simply motioned with his hands for Remy to bring it on.

Remy chuckled, "You're not ready."

He faked on direction and went the other. It did not do much to throw Scott off though; he was trained to look for surprises. Even so, Remy rushed down the half of the court they were using and managed a slam dunk.

"Told ya'. I get one more point, I win," Remy said smugly. He passed the ball the Scott and got ready for his play, "Come on, show me what you got."

Scott lurched forward, jumped up and took a shot. There was a satisfying swoosh sound, signaling the three-pointer, and his win.

"So was that luck twice in a row?" Scott asked satisfied with how he won. He wanted to burst out laughing at having made Remy eat his words twice in that game.

"Yeah, yeah," Remy jabbed back.

Scott checked the time and saw school would be getting out for the students soon, "We'll have to do this another time. School's almost out."

"You're lucky, mon ami. I'll jus' have to wipe de floor with ya tomorrow," Remy kept it coming. This competitive side of his had not come out of him in long while.

They both got changed real quick into comfortable civvies and made for the garage. Remy hopped on his motorcycle to go pick up Rogue, figuring he'd surprise her again. He claimed he was helping by giving everyone else Scott was picking up some more legroom.

"You know, you could help more by taking one of the vans," Scott mentioned, Remy shrugged his shoulders and sped off far ahead of Scott, "Why do I even bother sometimes?"

When Scott arrived at the school he was a little perplexed as to why everyone was still standing out front for pick-up. Surely Remy must have arrived to pick someone up, that someone being Rogue. But no, she was still there with everyone. He pulled up to the curb and while everyone piled into the van he asked, "Hey, did Remy drop by?"

"Nien, why do you ask?" Kurt answered, rather dejectedly. Scott ignored that and gave Remy a call. All he got was a busy signal. Should he be worried?

"No reason."

It was Remy. It was not like he could not call him in a couple minutes to let him know he was no help at all.

* * *

Remy weaved in and out of traffic on his way to Bayville High, earning the ire of a couple other motorists. He did start driving more civil the closer he got to the school zone though. With his criminal record, he did not need to get pulled over for speeding in a school zone with "children" present. Rogue would not let him hear the end of it if that happened.

More or less he enjoyed that he was spending more time with Rogue. It was more than just the sessions. Being around her was one of the few things that made his life at the institute worth sticking out. She was good company, and as time had proven again and again a loyal friend. He found himself, like he was right then, going out of his way to spend time with her. What could he say? She was great fun.

Rogue's therapy was occurring more regularly now that Remy was not being dragged off to foreign countries. For Rogue, every session felt like a leap and a bound for her considering how effective all the previous endeavors had been. Such positive attitude, as Hank hypothesized, would only help the effectiveness of the therapy. There were still multiple obstacles that needed to be overcome. Foreign memories, for one, still proved tricky to remove without damaging Rogue's. Some were fragmented; to her mind the memories she absorbed were recognized by her own mind as her own. It was a minor obstacle that failed to hinder Rogue's progress, and her spirit.

Remy was a trooper being the guinea pig all the way through this. Admittedly, it was not as fun as getting an actual hangover, but it at least was serving a benevolent purpose. The thought that he could help Rogue escape the prison of her powers became his personal debt to pay to a society he wronged. Hell, he at least owed her that much for using her back in New Orleans. He kept that bit to himself however.

For both their sakes purging Remy's psyche from her mind after each session became standard procedure. This allowed Rogue to have a clean slate when working with him each time. It still did not stop the dreams revolving around Remy's memories from cropping up now and then.

On therapy days, sessions occurred in the morning before school or after depending on Xavier's ability. However, mainly due to Rogue's tenacity, Xavier provided her and Remy with relaxation and trust exercises they could practice together in their spare time. In theory it would help facilitate the therapy.

Rogue pointed out after a week of doing the relaxation exercises Remy's smoking had become less frequent. He realized that she must have been hoping he'd quit all together at some point since then. While he was not opposed to cutting back more than he already had since coming to the institute, he still stuck by what he told Xavier. A lot of convincing would have to happen before he even considered it.

He pulled a smoke out from his jacket and lit it while at a light. He figured he was driving slowly enough he could smoke one without much of a problem. He would not have such luck though.

Remy's cell phone began to vibrate in his pocket.

_Christ, don't let it be Fury, don't let it be Fury, _Remy nervously pulled the cell phone from his jacket and saw the display read "restricted #", _Please let it be someone else…_

Remy remembered it was Tante Mattie who told him to be careful what he wished for.

"Bonjour," Remy faked a cheerful greeting through the dread.

"Bonjour ma amore," a smooth, sultry, feminine voice answered. Not just any woman's voice, but the one woman Remy hoped he would never see again. It was the girl he loved and had the worst possible breakup with. It did not help she could kill him if she wanted to.

"Bella Donna?" Remy uttered, unbelievingly, "What are you-"

"You really shouldn' smoke, Remy. It's bad for ya health," Bella Donna swooned. Remy went into full alert mode hearing that. She could see him, worse she wanted him to know it.

"You can see me? Oh, I wish I could see you," Remy said sarcastically, pulling into an alley way taking cover behind a dumpster.

"You don' wanna do that either," Bella Donna cautioned.

"An why-"

A glass bottle near Remy's head exploded into fragments thanks to a bullet narrowly missing Remy. All he knew was that the shot came from behind him. He fell backward and began running down the alleyway. He ran back out of the alleyway on to the street in a zigzag motion until he had the buildings between him and where ever the shot came from.

"Missed moi," Remy quipped.

"That wasn't my shot," Bella Donna responded coolly.

"What?" Remy shouted. Who else could be shooting at him? As he stood pressed against a brick building, another shot landed right between his legs; it was dangerously close to his more personal area.

"_That_ was my shot," Bella Donna announced. That meant there were two shooters after Remy, "My brother always was better with a rocket launcher."

"Julian's here? What's goin' on?" Remy asked heatedly. To say the afternoon took a turn for the worst was an understatement.

Despite nearly being shot in the crotch, Remy did not move from his spot. He knew Bella was a crack shot marksman, and could have easily put one between his eyes right there if she wanted to. She must have had something else in mind.

"There's an open bounty on your head Remy. A rather big one," Bella explained.

"Apparently," Remy snapped at Bella, probably not the best idea considering, "I imagine I have dear ol' Maurius to thank for dis?"

"I think ya oughtta be more concerned with stayin' alive Remy," Bella Donna was playing him.

"Why bother with givin' me a head start?"

Bella chuckled over the phone, "Remy, the only one who gets to kill ya is me. I can't keep mon frère Julian from tryin', but I can help ya deal with that."

"So you can kill me later… not dat good of a deal," Remy scanned his surroundings trying to see which building Bella Donna could possibly be perched on. If he had an idea of where she was, it would give him some advantage over the situation.

"You get to live a little while longer," Bella Donna tried to encourage him. That was true, the longer he was alive the more time he would have to take care of both shooters. But he was still being played by her, "We don' have time to fool around if you want me to help."

"Do I have a choice?" Remy asked.

"Julian's goin' to be linin' up his next shot to your left. You want to live a little longer, you have twenty seconds to finish makin' your decision," Bella Donna informed him.

"Fine, just tell me what to do," Remy accepted, purely out of his own desire to live.

"Run to the playground 18 meters down the road," Bella Donna instructed tersely, Remy looked around quickly and saw where it was.

"Dat's toward de gunfire," Remy said discouragingly. It would have made more sense to go up the street away from danger.

"Trust me, Remy!" Bella Donna barked over the phone. An odd request given the situation. He took a quick look and saw why though. The park was deserted, the street leading away from gunfire was not. Remy broke into a sprint across the street into the park, headlong into danger.

When Scott failed to raise Remy, Rogue decided to call him a few minutes later to see where he was. She was eager to practice some of the relaxation techniques they were given. Knowing him he was probably in town picking up a couple more decks of cards to replace the ones he went through during his time in the danger room. At least his ammunition was cheap.

When she reached him the only sound she got was the busy tone. This seemed odd, even for Remy. Who could he be talking to that the busy signal lasts this long? Fury's always quick and to the point, Xavier usually communicated by telepathy, and she usually was talking to him in person. So who?

She kept the line engaged for a little while longer hoping Remy might put the other person on hold to check in with her. No such thing occurred however. Rogue caught herself before she jumped to any conclusions though. It could have been Fury if there were exceptional circumstances or something like that. Remy could not have been in that much danger. If he was he would have at least tried to contact someone.

Needless to say, Rogue kept her phone close.

Remy sprinted through the park, moving through the trees, hoping the new spring leaves would make him a tougher target. Shots whizzed over head and around him at slow intervals. When Bella Donna told him to duck, he ducked. When she said turn and run in a different direction, he did. It was hard coming up with a plan when an ex was ordering him around while he dodged bullets. He was quite certain that even if she did help him escape Julian, it would not be long before she tried to kill him too. He never knew Bella Donna as one to revel in the death of her targets. Quick and clean was her usual preference.

Remy only could assume he really hurt her to make her want to take the contract on his life. That was another can of worms he had to worry about now also.

_One thing at a time, Remy,_ he told himself. Dodge now, contract later.

Remy ducked into a parking lot and hunkered down between the biggest cars he could find. He took the opportunity to catch his breath.

"Glad the north hasn' softened ya too much," Bella Donna chirped over the phone, "Ah, merde…"

"What?" Remy asked, Bella did not respond, "Bella Donna? You dere?"

"I lost Julian!" she cursed.

"How do you… nevermind. What now? Where de hell are ya leadin' moi?" Remy demanded. He was getting antsy just sitting there. It would only be a matter of time before Julian moved to a new position that gave him a line of sight on the parking lot, and then… BAM! Remy would be out for good, "Well?"

"Hold please!" Bella Donna snapped hanging up the phone.

"Bella Donna? Hello…Merde!" Remy spat bitterly, "Fantastic."

His cell phone vibrated again, this time the display read "Rogue".

Maybe it was the adrenaline, but Remy had that phone open before the first vibration was even done, "Hey Rogue. I can't talk I'm being shot at!"

"Wait, what?" Rogue asked vehemently, "Remy, what happened?"

"Really can't talk, Rogue…," Remy hurriedly said and hung up promptly.

Almost immediately Remy's phone was vibrating again.

"What?"

"Remy, get out of the parkin' lot, don' think jus' do it!" Bella Donna hissed. Remy bounced up from his hiding spot and looked for the quickest way out, "Do it, as in, NOW!"

A pop-hiss sound forced Remy to leap into action as he heard the cry of a rocket speeding toward him.

* * *

Rogue, Kurt, and Logan were up in the air with the X-Velocity with Xavier on Cerebro. He was having a tough time tracking Remy through Cerebro. That would change once some power usage occurred. Kurt was not pleased that he had to come along, but as much as he hated Remy, he was not about to wish death upon him.

"Anythin' professor?" Rogue asked nervously over the communicator, "No, nothing yet."

Rogue sighed and returned to looking out of the viewport for some trace of Remy. Some flashing lights on the ground caught her attention. The lights were red, belonging to a fire engine.

"Any idea where they're off too?" Rogue asked Logan whose eyes were stuck on something in the distance. Rogue soon saw what he did: smoke had began to rise near the park, "God please no…"

When Kurt saw the pain grip his sister, he saw something he had never seen in her before. He saw a concern unlike any she had displayed with anyone she knew. He realized then that Remy was some kind of special to Rogue. It was a shame he learned under these circumstances.

* * *

"Lovely, he has rockets. Would've been good to know sooner," Remy snipped back at Bella Donna as he ran from the fiery wreckage that used to be his hiding spot. He had barely gotten far enough away from the blast.

"You're fault for takin' dat other call," Bella Donna said dimly, this was going to get worse, "You're not goin' to like dis."

"Oh… what now?" he rubbed his temple. He could not imagine how much worse this day could get without him dying.

"I need you to stop running and wait for him to take a shot," she answered. Remy was definitely not going to like it.

"You've got to be kiddin'. I thought you wanted me alive," he kept running down the parking lot.

"I need you to stay still so I can pick Julian out. We keep this up, you'll tire, you'll die," Bella argued.

Remy knew she was right. A Ripper assassin would not stop until their target was dead, no matter how long it took, "You're goin' to kill him?"

"No, but I need to find him again. Unless you do wanna die," Bella Donna's plan was a big risk, but that was Remy's game. He just hoped the reward was worth being a wooden duck for the next couple seconds.

He stopped just on the edge of the parking lot, waiting. His mind and his body screamed at him to run, but he stayed planted. He began to hear his heart pounding in his chest. Everything around him became more vibrant and clear; he began to see everything from the bugs scurrying on the ground to the birds perched on some of the buildings around the park.

Then it happened; a puff of smoke materialized with a pop-hiss sound on top of a four-story building overlooking the park and the parking lot. It was immediately followed by the pop of a powerful gun going off.

Remy bolted from his position. He did not get as far this time. The rocket hit, luckily only knocking him off his feet. His hearing blew out for a few seconds but slowly returned has he slowly got to his feet. He staggered into the street and was met by concerned citizens who were asking him series of questions.

Their voices sounded like echoes in his ears. Remy pushed past them all not wanting to be around innocence if more bullets started flying in his direction.

He fell into an alleyway and waited for Bella Donna to say something over the phone. He kept his phone close to his ear listening carefully as his hearing returned.

"Remy? Remy? I can hear you breathin' damn it, say somethin'!"

"I'm here Bella Donna, all bits included," Remy grumbled, rubbing the new sore spots on his body, "Tell me you have a plan."

"I do," Bella Donna grabbed Remy's attention, "Now that I killed his rocket launcher, you're gonna take care of mon frère."

* * *

That second rocket blast drew Logan, Kurt and Rogue to stick around the park area. Logan searched for the racketeer; with his keen eyes that would be simple work. Rogue looked for some trace of Remy. After that explosion there was no body, nothing. She did not let that discourage her, most of the time no body meant no corpse.

In her search she did not find Remy, but she did find something else. A lone woman crouched on top of a building, overlooking the area below. A closer look allowed Rogue to see a sniper rifle set up.

"That… Bitch!" Rogue growled, "Kurt, get meh down on that buildin' now!"

Rogue pointed out the building for Kurt and in a poof of smoke they were gone from the X-Velocity before Logan could object.

"Damn kids," Logan grumbled beneath his breath. Then he saw what was going on. Two shooters for one target. He looked down to Rogue and watched anxiously. At the same time, he was proud of the initiative she was showing. She was really coming into her own acting decisively, if a little impulsively.

Down on the roof, Rogue and Kurt ported in behind an air conditioner. Rogue motioned for Kurt to stay put; she wanted to take this one by herself.

She walked softly, wanting to keep the element of surprise. As she got closer she began to hear the assassin talking on the phone. Good. She was distracted.

"He'll stick around until he's sure you're gone, you gotta do this quickly if you're gonna get him," the assassin said to whoever was on the other line, "I'll tell you if he moves."

"Hey, bitch!" Rogue spat. Bella Donna turned just in time to catch a fist in the jaw, knocking her out cold. Rogue had considered just sapping her with her powers, but doing that for Remy felt good. Bella Donna kicked Rogue in the stomach from where she lay, and then she leapt up to her feet. The pain in her jaw was immense, but she could take it.

She came at Rogue with a couple swift kicks, who blocked them in turn. Her skill surprised Bella Donna. They threw a couple of punches, but Bella Donna's were the only ones to make contact. Rogue doubled over from the ones that connected with her chest and stomach_._

Bella Donna tackled Rogue to the ground, straddling her. Rogue struggled against the assassin ready to end this.

"You don' know what you're interferin' with!" Bella Donna hissed.

"How about Ah fahnd out!" Rogue slipped one of her gloves off and reached up to grab her opponents face. Bella Donna ignorantly met Rogue half-way.

Rogue felt a surge of energy and information as Bella Donna slumped over. As she worked it all out she came to some shocking revelations.

"Oh mah God!" Rogue blurted out. She saw memories of Remy; intimate memories of Bella Donna and Remy. The information she pulled was more recent, but some of the basic stuff was pretty shocking, "You're his ex-girlfriend…you… you were helpin' him?"

Kurt cautiously approached Rogue, "Are you okay?"

Rogue rubbed her head, and sifted through some more information. There were images of Remy running through the parking lot, through a park, into an alleyway… then Rogue saw who else was trying to kill him. Rogue remembered Julian's face quickly. Then she knew something even more important.

"Watch her, I'll be back!"

Before Kurt could question any further, Rogue rushed over to where the sniper rifle was still set up and she began to search the rooftops. Logan, seeing this, finally chimed in.

"Someone want to tell me what the hell is going on down there?" Logan barked of their comlinks, "Rogue! What are you doing with that gun?"

Rogue, thanks to Bella Donna, knew by instinct how to wield the weapon. Cooly, she answered, "Ah'm savin' Remy."

* * *

Remy moved swiftly through the surrounding streets until he reached the building Julian was perched on. He found the fire escape and climbed quickly. When he reached the roof he saw Julian, staring through his sniper scope, futilely searching for his target.

Remy moseyed up to Julian, expecting to get the drop on him. He misjudged though. There was a small crackling sound at Remy's boots. Broken glass. When he was three feet away Julian swiveled on the spot and struck with his staff. Remy deflected the blow and pulled the staff from Julian's hands. That too was part of Julian's plan too, if someone were to sneak up on him. By the time Remy had taken the staff, Julian had pulled his sidearm.

Now Remy stared down the barrel of a .50 caliber pistol.

"I win, Remy!" Julian laughed triumphantly. He pulled back the hammer, savoring the moment, "Who'da thought dat I'd be dis close when I kill ya."

"Bet you're père will be very proud," Remy spat, hoping for some queen of hearts miracle.

"Actually, both our fathers will be," Julian grinned sadistically.

"What?" Remy's jaw dropped.

Julian opened his mouth to explain but was interrupted. A gun shot from far away went off, and before either of them could react, Julian's gun was blown out of his hand. Before Julian could recollect himself, Remy had smacked him across the face with the staff. The blow spun Julian around once before he fell over, unconscious.

Remy looked up and saw the X-Velocity flying over to meet him and right then he knew Rogue had brought him help. Just as they got away, the police arrived on the rooftop finding Julian unconscious with all his weapons.

Aboard the X-Velocity Rogue helped Remy to seat and began to make sure he was alright. He looked okay, if only a little roughed up.

"I'll be fine, Chéri," Remy insisted, he looked around the small cabin and saw Bella Donna unconscious in one of the seats. Rogue immediately saw the worry in his eyes.

"Let you in on a little secret," Rogue whispered to Remy, "She doesn't want to kill ya, Rems."

Remy shook his head, "How do you… oh, right. This day couldn' get any more interestin'."

Just as he started to ease into his seat he stiffened up again, "Wait, if you absorbed her…"

Rogue blushed, "Yes, that shot was mine."

Remy was awe-struck… she really did come through for him, "Merci."

"You're welcome," Rogue nervously brushed some hair out of her face. She leaned against Remy, content that he was safe.

Back at the mansion, Remy assured everyone that he would sort things out with Bella Donna alone. It took some convincing from him and Rogue to assure everyone that she was not a threat to them.

Remy and Bella Donna walked around the mansion grounds while she explained everything, "I took that contract on you not to kill you."

"Evidemment."

"I came to warn you, unfortunately, Julian followed me," she explained. They sat down on the of the stone benches next to the fountain, "I don' know why Remy, but your father put the contract on your head."

She expected Remy to flip out, given his reputation as the Ragin' Cajun. He however was very cold about it.

"Figured it only be a matter of time before he caught up wit' me," Remy began to stroke his chin, wondering why this had happened. Despite the little anger Bella Donna still had toward Remy, she could not imagine having her father doing the same to her.

Bella Donna placed her hand on Remy's leg, "Tu est bon?"

"I will be, merci," Remy grabbed her hand and squeezed it lightly, "Thanks for doin' dis. I… I half expected you to wanna shoot me outright."

"I still do," she said casually, "Unless you can answer me one thing."

Remy's looked at her weirdly.

"Why did you leave? Why did you leave me?" she asked. Remy sighed. She was referring to when he left for the Acolytes.

"Were you ready to get married at 17?" Remy asked, "I heard dear old dad negotiatin' with yours about getting' us hitched. I wasn' ready for that."

"Really? Us married?" Bella Donna blinked uncontrollably for a second.

"I got offered an out and I took it. It had nothin', I swear nothing', to do with you, Bella Donna," Remy stressed his words, "You and I? We're too young to be considerin' somethin' like that."

"Got that right… ya could of told me," Bella Donna's eyes began to well up but she rubbed them before they could let their tears go.

"Désolé, but I didn' have the heart to tell you. I mean, how do you tell someone you're in love with you don' wanna marry them because their fathers want it?" Remy asked. Bella Donna had no answers, "I loved you though, don' forget that."

She was silent as she took it in. Finally she said, "Well, thanks for tellin' me."

"You plannin' on killin' me?" Remy asked, a hint of sarcasm laced his words.

"Not as much. I wasn't ready either," Bella Donna rested a comforting hand on Remy's leg again and then stood up, "I should go… I'll need to lay low for awhile. I hope you work your issues out with your father."

Remy nodded, "Wish me luck?"

Bella Donna leaned back down and placed a final kiss on his lips, wanting to taste him one last time, "Take care of yourself okay?"

Just as quickly as Remy's first love came back into his life, she was gone.

He made his way back inside. Rogue was waiting for him at the door, concerned. She knew about the new issues Remy now had with Jean-Luc.

"You okay?" Rogue asked. She doubted he was, considering all that had just happened. Remy nodded, "The others are waitin'."

Remy nodded again, somberly. He was not looking forward to drudging up the past.

"Hey, Rems. Ah'll be with you the whole tahme," she offered her hand to him. Remy smiled and took it. If she knew about Remy's troubles from Bella Donna, then she probably saw some other stuff about him and her as well, "Listen, Ah have no reason to care about past girlfriends if that's what you're worried about. It's past, right?"

"Ah know, Rogue," Remy gave her hand a tight squeeze. He needed to tell her about him and Bella Donna now, "We'll talk with de others in a moment. I… let's sit down. You should have all de facts about me and Bella Donna."

Rogue silently wondered to herself why he felt he needed to tell her. It was not like Bella Donna came back into his life while they were going out. She did not over-analyze though. If Remy felt she needed to know then so be it.

"It's kind of a long story…"

**A/N: Done! And hey I updated in less than a month! Again this was a packed chapter, sorry for that. The next chapters will be more finite,**

**Next chapter: Remy must go home to deal with this bounty on his head. He'll find that the situation is much more complicated than he expected (and something I will not be able to resolve in one chapter!). With spring break conveniently about to begin for the students, Remy will not be going home alone. Hell, he won't even be travelling with just one person, but three. Rogue is obviously one.**

**Any guesses who the other two will be? **


	12. Suspicion of Impulse

**I do not own X-men: Evolution or any related Marvel comics property**

**A/N: Before you all wonder where the Bella Donna/Remy back story is, I purposefully did not write it in as you all got the story last chapter. The important stuff is there, but no more than that. Let's just leave specifics up to the imagination shall we?**

Chapter 12: Suspicion of Impulse

"So you and she…" Rogue was sitting next to Remy in a private room on a sofa before he had to go off and explain the whole attempt on his life. He gave her the rundown of what his and Bella Donna's relationship was like. It was in the spirit of Romeo and Juliet almost, sans the suicides that ended the bloody feud of two families. Knowing that holding anything back would come back to bite him in the ass later, Remy spilled all the appropriate details.

"Oui, we slept together," Remy answered rubbing his head, it sounded almost as if it hurt to say it to Rogue, "But dat's ancient history now."

"Rems, we're not even twenty," Rogue said, whether it was out of humor or her just stating fact, Remy was glad she was smiling slightly.

"Relativity, Chéri," Remy grinned back at her. It faded quickly though, "Case and point, she and I are in the past. And it's goin' to stay dat way."

Rogue nodded, but through all of Remy's explanation she could not for the life of her understand why he felt she needed to know.

"Remy why are you tellin' meh this?" Rogue asked. Remy shifted around in his seat looking for words. He really did not know himself beyond not wanting there to be secrets for Rogue to wonder about. Big disasters being the result of a misunderstanding was something Remy was all too familiar with in his life as a thief.

"Trust. Plain and simple," Remy answered. Rogue took his hand in hers.

"Ah already trust you. We're friends," Rogue said, squeezing Remy's hand.

"Vrai (true)… but dis is a little different," Remy said cautiously, picking his words carefully, "I don' want to ever come as close to losin' your trust. You're special to me Rogue."

Rogue's stomach did a backflip. It seemed to be doing that a lot around Remy lately. Her eyes widened and her lips parted ever so slightly. Before Rogue could ask for a point of clarification, Remy's voice was already working to that end.

"My life's been pretty eventful… unstable more like," Remy began, "You ask a thief what their most prized possessions are, any master will say the people in their lives. I don' want to lose you because of things like dis comin' up."

Rogue felt her heart sink a little. It was sweet, but not exactly what she was expecting. This was in the back of her mind though, "People lahke us? The past is always goin' to be getting' drudged up for us. God, look at the last few weeks; Mystique comes back, and your dad puts a price on your head."

"Mos' people woulda jus' cut and run by now," Remy shook his head at how crazy life became at times, even for mutants. A small chuckle escaped both of their throats.

It was a good sign they both could laugh a little about it.

"Ah don' know about you Remy, but Ah'm ready to stick it all out," Rogue let go of his hand and leaned back against the sofa's arm rest. She had a sly grin about her face, "You're welcome to come along for the rahde."

There was something teasing about how she was then. That strength Remy found so enticing drew him in, and before he knew it he was crawling across the sofa until his body was over hers. Their faces were barely an inch apart. Rogue's heart started beating faster. For Remy, it was him, granted a side that had not shown itself for awhile; impulse took over.

"I'm with you," Remy muttered. Rogue could feel her heart beating like rhythmic thunder. She may not have been an expert in flirting, but she knew that even really close friends did not do what they were doing. But this was Remy. Touchy-feely was how he operated, making it strange to Rogue why he stuck around with her so much when there were plenty of other women around the mansion he could potentially have.

He was way too close… and she did not mind in the slightest. And for a split second, Rogue had no fear of accidental contact. An impulse she could not pin down quivered behind her lips, caused a shortness of breath like she never felt before. Something was egging her on to do…something. But she checked her own impulses as Remy finally checked his, "Come on… de professeur is likely dying to know why I'm getting' shot at."

Remy bolted up from the sofa, grabbing Rogue's hand as he did so. He helped her to her feet and they went off hand in hand once again. Hand-hand contact was practically a routine for them now, and something Rogue had done with no one else at the mansion so lightly.

In Xavier's office, Remy explained the new status quo of his progressively complicating life. Xavier was incapable of hiding his feelings during Remy's explanation. Frustration, concern, and a plethora of similar feelings were being jostled around in his mind. Mutants may have been the least popular population in the world, but having a resident with a contract on his head was a first. As Xavier listend to Remy, he was contemplating the different courses of action available. He was most surprised by Remy's even-keeled composure; Xavier was expecting more solemn shock from the young man at the fact that his adoptive father had put a hit out for him.

"This is very serious, Remy. Forgive me, but you realize your very presence here is putting all the students in danger," Xavier said. Remy nodded, stealing a glance over at Logan who was standing in the corner. He looked somewhere between annoyed, pissed, and amped up as if he was about to get some action doing what he did best. Remy would be happy as long as all of those emotions were not aimed at him. Rogue sat next to Remy mainly as moral support.

"I'm well aware, professeur. Dat's why I'm leavin' for a bit to deal with dis myself," Remy announced. Rogue stared at him wide-eyed and Xavier was about to object. Logan seemed to be the only one who agreed with Remy's course of action.

"Going straight to the heart of the problem… not bad, Gumbo," Logan grunted, popping a set of claws out.

"Are ya insane?" Rogue hissed, "Your father tried to have you killed, and you want to go meet him?"

"It's complicated," Remy motioned for Rogue to relax, "De only way I'm goin' to get ahead of dis is if I get mon père to lift the contract. I can' do dat if I don' talk with the bastard."

"You're certain there is no other way?" Xavier asked.

Remy shook his head, "Dis is de way things work in this world."

Xavier rested his head on his interlocked fingers, "Very well, I'll have a team assembled to assist you."

"Ah volunteer," Rogue spoke up immediately upon hearing "team".

Of all the people to object to this, Rogue did not expect it to be Remy, "Non, it's too dangerous. Better if I go dis alone."

"He's right, Rogue. But you're not going alone, bub," Logan said adamantly, to which Remy replied no different.

"You do it plenty, non?" Remy pointed out. Logan shrugged.

"Sure, healing factor sort of reduces the risk of dying."

Xavier spoke up before this set of what ifs got out of hand, "Logan, if Remy says that there may be more assassins coming, then I'll need you around here in case any more come looking for Remy. What are the chances that many more will come?"

Remy thought for a second. Assassins never communicated or shared intelligence, especially on an open contract. It was a competition, "If I haven' been hit again yet, den dere shouldn' be many comin' around here."

"Logan, in the case that more do come…" Xavier began.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll play watchdog," Logan groaned. His _snikting_ and _slikting_ of his claws was beginning to grind on Remy's comfort.

"Remy, you're not goin' down there alone," Rogue declared. Remy gave her a glare, "Ah'm old enough to make mah own decisions. Spring break starts tomorrow anyway."

"Rogue, dis ain' like de last time we went to N'awlins," Remy said very abrupt, "People are lookin' to kill me. De less people I have around me de easier it will be for me to get dis straightened out."

"Remy I-"

"Dis ain' up for discussion," Remy hushed Rogue with one final verbal push. He turned back to Xavier, "I'm headin' down south to take care of dis. Alone."

"Have fun getting killed, Gumbo," Logan grunted as he made his way out of the office.

"Logan!" Xavier demanded and explanation. Logan simply shrugged.

"Sorry, Chuck. But he's digging his own grave," Logan said, cutting a cigar, "If he wants to get himself killed then all the hard knocks in the world won't save him. If he ain't willing to accept a hand then fine, it's his life."

Remy glared coldly at Logan. In all honesty, he expected a sucker punch from him. He had a feeling that Logan was saving that for a special occasion. Rogue leaned over to see if Remy was alright. He held his hand up in gesture that he was.

Logan grunted and strode on out of the office. Xavier sighed and rubbed his temples, "Of all the brash men... sorry about that Remy, are you going to be okay?"

"Je vais être bon, professeur (I'll be fine)," Remy huffed. Despite Logan's methodology, he had planted seeds, "I'll… I'll think about bringin' someone along."

Remy left the office without another word, with Rogue following closely, "Remy, I'm goin' with you."

Remy did not stop, "I thought we already went over dis. It's too dangerous dis time."

"God damn it, Remy," Rogue groaned, "Ah can handle myself."

Remy stopped in his stride and turned to Rogue, "I know, Rogue, its jus'…"

He paused, searching for the right words. What was he supposed to say? He did not want her to get hurt? Of course he did not want that. He would never forgive himself if something bad happened to her on account of his personal business. Rogue urged him to continue, "Just what?"

Remy opened and closed his mouth a couple times before reluctantly saying, "Forget it. I need to get ready."

Rogue nearly screamed, but settled simply with, "Ya know what? You can go to hell Remy Etienne Lebeau!"

She stormed off and Remy did not make any attempt to go after her. As far as he could tell he had deterred her from joining him on this errand. Nevertheless, he felt like he got off easy with her. He felt terrible, but he was doing this to protect her. He told himself that again and again as he returned to his room. He found Piotr sitting on the balcony, working out of that journal of his again. He still had no idea what he really was using that journal for; Piotr was very protective of it, even more when people were around.

"Bon soir, Piotr," Remy knocked on the balcony door.

"You alright, comrade?" Piotr asked. Remy nodded.

"I've been shot at before, ain' nothin' new to moi," Remy replied slyly.

"One of these days you will not be able to dodge one of those bullets, my friend. No one is that lucky," Piotr said.

_Downer much? _Remy thought to himself, "We'll just have to see, won't we?"

Piotr closed his journal and leaned forward in his seat toward Remy, "This isn't over, is it?"

"Non, mon ami. It's de reason I want to ask you something," Remy took the seat on the balcony next to Piotr, lighting up a cigarette while he was at it, "I'm goin' down to Louisiana to deal with de bounty on my head. I'd like it if you'd be my backup, jus' in case."

"Hmm… never a dull moment around here, eh?" Piotr chuckled to himself, "I shall accompany you."

"Good, pack for a few days, we'll head out early in the mornin'. Seven, I think. I'll see about gettin' us a car for de week," Remy said, nearly forgetting something, "Merci, mon ami."

"You're welcome," Piotr answered.

Remy caught something out of the corner of his eye, coming out of the wall above his bed, but by the time he looked directly over there it was gone, "You see somethin'?

"No. Perhaps you should rest," Piotr advised. Remy did a double take of the wall again. Nothing different. Maybe Piotr was right, he just needed rest.

_Outside in the hall_

Kitty pulled her head back through the wall and toppled back just before Remy saw her. Rogue was standing right behind her and caught her.

"Well?" Rogue asked hastily. Kitty regained her balance and answered.

"They're like totally flying the coop in the morning. Remy said they're leaving by car at seven," Kitty repeated what she heard, "So… what are you going to do?"

Rogue thought about it for a second and turned back to Kitty, with a fire in her eyes. She had something in mind, "What are ya doin' for spring break?"

"Nothing, why?" Kitty asked. Rogue leaned in and whispered an idea in her ear. More like a scheme of sorts.

Kitty withdrew when Rogue was finished and said, "I'll see if I can get him in on it. Beats the car hopping like last time we tried to follow someone."

Rogue smiled and said, "Thanks, Kit."

"No problem," Kitty said with a grin. Rogue bounded off to her room while Kitty turned to Piotr and Remy's. She approached quietly and gave it a light knock.

"Come in," Piotr replied, Kitty phased through the door, surprising both he and Remy with her visit, "Katya?"

"Hey Pete, you got a second?" Kitty asked, her eyes became all puppy dog-like.

Remy saw Piotr visible flash a visible red for second. He pretended to scratch his cheek to hide his humor. Piotr stumbled over his next words, "Um, of course. What do you need?"

Kitty looked at Remy who was trying to pretend he was not listening, "Can we talk… in private?"

Piotr stuttered as he said yes, flashing an even brighter red. Remy began to chuckle a bit, trying to hide it with a cough.

_Mon Dieu, he got it bad,_ Remy thought to himself as Piotr left the room with the femme jolie (pretty girl). He waited eagerly for Piotr to return so he could grill him about it. When he did, all Remy asked was, "Gettin' friendly aroun' here, non?"

Piotr gave Remy a cold hard stare, causing him to hold his hands up defensively. It was going to be a fun road trip.

Remy and Piotr finished a small pot of morning coffee while most of the mansion was still asleep. Logan was in the danger room working out some of the kinks he got in his metal skeleton, but it was quiet in the mansion otherwise. Remy did a final check of his bag like he always did when leaving the mansion on extended trips. He had his standard equipment and a set of clothes for a few occasions should the need to blend arose. Piotr went to go prep the SUV the professor was allowing them to take while Remy went to say a quick good-bye to Rogue. And apologize for cutting her out if need be. He had no idea if she was still pissed or not

He knocked lightly on her door, to which she answered quickly. It was the Saturday before spring break and he never knew anyone their age to be up and at 'em early. The only exception was when there was an early morning training session, which given the silence through the mansion there was not that morning. Rogue opened the door, dressed for the day and fully awake. Remy took a quick look inside her room before she moved into his line of sight. Was she hiding something?

"Mornin', _Chéri," _Remy said casually.

"Hey, Remy," Rogue said curtly. She flashed a smile real quick. A good sign he supposed, "Ya headin' out?"

"Uh, oui," Remy answered, "Wanna make good time. Listen Rogue, about me leavin'… I'll be back safe and sound in a few days, bon?"

"Okay," Rogue said, nervously shifting her weight, "Be, you know, careful."

_God, I wish I could bring you with,_ Remy thought to himself. He thought of the wasted spring break, how he could be spending it… rather, how he wished he would be spending it.

"Of course. C'est moi (its me)," Remy said confidently as he brushed Rogue's chin with his gloved fingers. Rogue shook her head at his smug demeanor, "Wish me luck?"

Rogue gave him an alluring smile and brought him in for a hug, which he happily returned. She wrapped her arms tight around him. His curiosity to why she tried to block his view now could be satiated. He saw a small duffel bag on her bed, packed tight by the look of it. She was trying to hide that?

"Goin' somewhere, _Chéri_?" Remy asked mischievously. Rogue withdrew from their embrace, smiling a Mona Lisa smile; a smile that said she knew something he did not.

"You could say that, Sug," Rogue answered slyly.

_Whoa,_ every part of Remy's mind resonated with his utter fixation on Rogue in that moment. Her voice was smooth and sultry. She did not pull her body completely away from him even though the hug had ended. He could still feel those curves against his body. He was entranced and she was operating on impulse. Something in both of their minds said this felt… it felt a little strange.

She raised her hand to move some of Remy's unkempt hair out of his face. Ungloved. Remy was too caught up to realize she was about to touch him before it was too late. Her hand latched onto the side of his face, making stiffen like a board before slumping to the ground, "Sorry Rems, Ah ain't just gonna sit around here worryin' about ya."

Kitty and Piotr rounded the corner as soon as they heard Remy hit the floor. She gave them a nod and they rushed over to help her move Remy.

"The car is ready to go," Piotr informed Rogue as he heaved Remy over his shoulder, "That went better than expected."

"Told you it would work," Kitty said triumphantly. Piotr smiled gawkily as he turned back down the hallway.

"Thanks, Pete," Rogue patted the mild-mannered giant on the back and went to collect her own bag. As she and Kitty made their way to the SUV Kitty seemed to be bubbling with some sense of anticipation and excitement. This was going to be an adventure sure, but there was something more immediate that had her all giddy.

Rogue seemed to take notice, "Girl, you on somethin'?"

Kitty gave Rogue a look of amusement, "You were so, like, into that!"

"Into what?" Rogue asked, slightly annoyed.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. You totally were trying to be all sweet and stuff," Kitty accused Rogue playfully.

"Ah just needed him out for a bit," Rogue tried to pass it off as nothing, but Kitty kept at it.

"Oh, come on, you didn't like having that bod of his real close?" Kitty teased.

Rogue stopped dead in her tracks. She did not need to lead Remy on like that, but it was easier than trying to catch him off guard. That's why she did it…right? Her not acting like she was repulsed by the idea only made Kitty giggle more uncontrollably.

"Oh, God no," Rogue tried to play it like she was but it did not convince Kitty. This was going to be an interesting trip going south. Well, Kitty did not know Rogue had noticed her behavior towards their resident Russian. She had some ammunition of her own to fire.

That was beside the point though. Kitty had picked at something new inside her. Perhaps it was the success of the therapy thus far, but Rogue had began to feel less and less insecure about being in close proximity to people; in small doses at least. No longer was she shying away from physical gestures like hugs, or holding hands. In fact, she felt a part of her really enjoyed it, maybe even craved it in the right situation. Was how she did what she did to Remy born out of that? Or was it simply a means to make sure he went down to N'Awlins with some help?

Rogue tried to shake those questions from her head but was not having any success. She loaded her bag into the SUV and took the seat next to Remy in the back so she could look after him as they drove. She wanted to be close, knowing she would have some explaining to do once he woke up.

_Yeah, that is goin' to be fun,_ Rogue thought to herself.

**A/N: Sorry it took so long, I've been busy with school. 17 credits is a bit of work. Hope you all did not think I forgot this. I know not much happened in this chapter, but hey, I'm doing you all a favor by not jamming them with too much stuff at this part of the story (hint hint).**

**Next Chapter: Remy wakes up and gets his answers from Rogue. How awkward and uncomfortable will this road trip be? The father-son reunion comes next.**


	13. Family Meeting

**FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR PATIENCE WITH MY TERRIBLY INFREQUENT UPDATES FOR THIS STORY. SORRY THEY DON'T COME SOONER THAN THEY DO.**

**I do not own X-Men: Evolution or Marvel properties portrayed in this story. **

**A/N: Here we are again, and a big thanks to all of you who have reviewed. It's nice to know that this story is appreciated.**

Chapter 13: Family Meeting

Rogue kept a close eye on Remy as they all rode along in the black SUV. He looked very peaceful at the moment. She took it in while she could; he was going to have some words for her for certain once he was awake. They had been driving for about an hour and had made good time getting out of New York. Perfect, in Rogue's mind, save one tingling thought of doubt. They needed to be far along enough so they could not turn back. However, Rogue could not help but wonder if this was a mistake. Had this been a year ago she would not have paid any interest to many people's affairs. Yet there she was: she shanghaied two other people to quasi-kidnap a man who was in danger of getting himself killed because of pure masculine bravado. Somehow it made sense to her, but she figured that could have just been one of the psyches in her head. Well, there was no turning back now; they were all in for the duration.

_It's just nerves girl,_ Rogue told herself as she let her eyes flutter over toward Remy again. He stirred a little, groggily, but still was not mentally collected. As if her eyes were on auto-pilot, she found herself taking in Remy's motionless, taut form. She shook her head, irritatingly forcing her eyes to focus on something besides that olive-skinned face, that built upper-body, and…

_Damn it, what the hell is wrong with meh?_ Rogue turned her head in the complete opposite direction of Remy and watched the passing scenery fly by in a blur. Any distraction to get her mind off of Remy for the moment was welcome.

Kitty stole brief glances at Rogue, finding it harder and harder to contain her joy. This was not the first time she had caught Rogue stealing glances at Remy. The only other person Kitty ever saw her do that to was Scott, and yet not quite as intently. Out of the corner of her own eye, she saw someone else sneaking a peek. Before Kitty could catch Piotr red-handed he was already minding his own business again.

_Quick little guy,_ Kitty kept staring at him, seeing what he did. He tensed up a bit, telling her he knew he was being watched. Then he did something more or less unexpected.

Piotr took his eyes off of the open road and gave Kitty a smile.

"Everything alright, Katya?" Piotr asked. Kitty's own smile widened at the sound of the Russian version of her name.

"Totally," Kitty answered. Watching Piotr be all gentlemen-like and laid back about it to boot intrigued Kitty. She knew she called it in Egypt when she said he was a bit of a softy. Despite the impending danger of where they were headed, Kitty knew that there would be some fun to be found.

Piotr looked back on Rogue and Remy, "How is he doing?"

"Fahne, Ah think he'll be up soon," Rogue answered, nerves staggering her tone. Even looking out of the car window for some distraction did not stop her nervousness from escaping through her body. She wished Remy would wake up already so they could get the unpleasantness out of the way.

A few more minutes passed.

"Ugh…"

Rogue's eyes shot over to Remy, whose eyelids began to lazily part. He rubbed his head with a groan; his strength was slowly returning. Unlike the other times when he woke from being absorbed, he knew exactly what had happened. Rogue must have been getting good at blocking out thoughts since he could remember just about everything; there was no point at which he needed to ask himself "what happened". He finally took a look around and saw exactly what he did not want to: they were on the road and he just knew they were heading toward Louisiana.

Like a tazer shock to the base of the spine, he bolted up from his seat, only to be jerked back by the seatbelt.

"Merde!" Remy's words were sporadic and frantic. The first coherent sentence he was able to get out was the million dollar question, "What de hell is dis?"

"Remy…" Rogue tried to talk, but Remy's rude awakening was just getting started.

"Rogue, damn it girl. Weren' you listenin' to me?"

"Remy…"

Kitty looked frantically between Remy, Rogue, and Piotr. What now?

"Peter, pull over the car! Now!" Remy barked.

"Pete, ya betteh keep this car goin'," Rogue countered. Piotr looked as if he was just tuning them both out. It seemed he preferred keeping his head out of the fire when he could; a smart move.

This was not exactly what Rogue wanted, but she did expect Remy to be angry waking up. Trying to get a word in with him at the moment was a lost cause though. It seemed Kitty had the same thought too.

Kitty leaned over to Piotr and whispered something in his ear. When she was done he pulled off to the side of the road. Kitty then phased through her seat, grabbed Remy and Rogue, and phased them out of the car before phasing herself back in. She rolled down her window only to say, "Rogue, this was your idea, you fix this. Me and Pete shouldn't have to put up with you two acting like this. We'll be waiting."

Rogue was dumbfounded. Why the hell was she booted out of the car? She was trying to calm Remy down and explain things to him. Remy cursed under his breath. After all he did to try to make it just Piotr and him, after trying to minimize the risk to Rogue, she just tossed it to the side unappreciative of the situation.

There was a stiff silence between them on the side of the road. Moments ago it seemed Remy could not make enough noise out of outrage. Perhaps he was just as shocked by Kitty's actions as Rogue was. He began to pace back and forth, trying to think.

"Rogue… I thought I made it clear I don' want you comin' with me on dis," Remy growled.

"Yeah, and Ah said you could go to Hell," Rogue spat back. A fire lit in Remy's eyes.

"Mon Dieu, Rogue I told ya-" Rogue pushed a finger against his chest.

"Ya told meh that it would be more dangerous than the last tahme we were in N'Awlins," Rogue cut him off, pushing her finger harder against his chest, "Remy, Ah went up against Apocalypse! You realleh think Ah can't handle danger."

Remy bit down on his lip, frustrated with trying to reason with Rogue, "Rogue, I wasn' tryin' to say you can't handle it."

"Then what were you tryin' to say?" Rogue asked snippily.

"I… you…" Remy tripped over his words, unable to put it anyway that sounded favorable to either of them. Rogue's nagging was not helping either.

"Just spit it out, Swamp Rat," Rogue hissed.

"J'ai peur (I am afraid)…" Remy's eyes widened; that sort of slipped out. Rogue repeated what he said in her head, recalling what French she knew. He was afraid of something. Rogue then remembered what he told her that night a few weeks back about being dragged back into the family drama that he wanted no part of.

"Ah know you're scared about getting' dragged back into the family business, but-"

"Dat's not what I'm talkin' about!" Remy cut her off, even more frustrated.

"Then what?" Rogue shouted.

A mix of anger and anxiety gripped Remy's eyes. His final answer hit like a pair of symbols next to Rogue's ears, "I'm afraid of losin' you!"

Rogue's mouth dropped open. Remy was taken back by what he said. He fidgeted around in his pocket for cigarette, but could not get a hold of one before Rogue had placed her hands on his hands. He met her eyes, unable to speak. He needed a life line.

"Remy… please tell me why you realleh didn't want meh to come?" Rogue asked him, her voice was calm.

Remy refrained from his cigs and sat down on the side of the road. Rogue joined him promptly, "I suppose you'd just absorb moi if I stay silent."

Rogue let out a little giggle, "Thinkin' about it."

"Fine. You know when you absorbed Julian and his père?" Remy asked, Rogue nodded remembering crystal clear. "Mon père, he kept askin' about your powers after dat. He kept bringin' it up every now and den, how you'd be 'de femme dat could win us de war', shit like dat. He jus' wouldn' stop thinkin' about ya or how he'd use ya."

Rogue felt a little disgusted, but continued to listen, "How bad did it get?"

"It tapered off after about a month or two. He'd bring you up every now and den, and it just took a look from me and he'd stop. But mon père is like an elephant. Whatever he's got planned for moi, whatever it is he wants, I can' let it be you," Remy explained, he looked Rogue in the eyes and, "You've been used enough for one life."

Remy grasped Rogue's hand, waiting for her to respond. It made sense to her why he would go this far to keep her protected.

_We could write a book about it,_ Rogue repeated Remy's words in her head.

Rogue thought about all that Remy just told her and finally came up with something to say, "Ah appreciate it Remy, Ah realleh do. But no one is usin' meh again without mah sayin' so. Not Mystique, not your father… Ah'm past that."

Remy squeezed her hand lightly, "I'm not convincin' you to sit dis one out, am I?"

"No chance, Sugah," Rogue retorted, "We're here for each other, right?"

Remy gave her another smile. He stood and pulled her up with him, "I guess we better get goin'."

He opened the car door for her, hopelessly chivalrous, and got in after her.

"How do you two feel?" Kitty asked, beaming.

"Let's just go," Rogue groaned, failing to hide her smile. That smile soon turned into a fit of laughter on her part.

"What's so funny, Chéri?"

"Ah guess we're a little more even now; you kidnapped meh, Ah kidnapped you," Rogue continued to giggle, getting Remy started.

"You stealin' more from my brain dan I know about?" Remy asked playfully.

"You'll never know, Cajun," Rogue teased. She turned to Kitty, "Thanks, Kit."

"You're so welcome."

After about a day and a half of travel, the group finally arrived in New Orleans' French quarter. Of course, getting around was going to be a little more difficult, now that Spring Break Season had arrived and high school and college students were flocking from all over to this city. After about an hour of wading through pedestrians to find a decent parking place near a hotel, the four new mutant arrivals got settled in their rooms. Remy boarded up with Piotr and Rogue with Kitty. For the sake of security, they rented rooms sharing a wall.

After dressing down in comfortable pants and a short-sleeve button down, Remy stepped out onto the balcony while waiting for Rogue and Kitty to get situated and come over to discuss plans for dealing with the contract. From the balcony he could see Bourbon Street in the distance and the neon lights of the city begin to ignite as the sun set on the horizon. The low vibrating noise of car stereo bass reverberated along the sides of buildings, tickling Remy's ear drums. The old humid scents of the city eased the tension in his joints. Home was where one could feel most secure. For Remy, it was that, but also bittersweet.

Rogue came up along side him and leaned against the railing, taking in the view of the city. Higher up away from the chaotic entertainment below made the city a spectacle to behold. Remy glanced over and took her in. The sun was setting to her left, she was wearing that dark blue skirt, black knee-high boots and dark blue tank top, leaving a little of her firm mid-drift exposed.

_Wow,_ Remy thought to himself. For a girl who had a habit of keeping people at a distance and herself covered, she sure knew how to bring a man to his knees. Remy at least.

"Great view," Remy gave his flirtatious side some slack, not being the type to let an opportunity pass by.

"Ah know," Rogue said, oblivious, her eyes still gazing out over the city. Remy held back a chuckle.

"Tu es plus belle ce soir que usuel, Chéri (you are more beautiful than usual)," Remy skidded over closer to her letting impulse take over for a bit. Rogue looked at him, cocking her head to the side. She picked out the key words of French that she understood. As if her body was waiting for a cue, that light fluttering feeling she got all over her body when Remy said or did something like that came back.

In seconds her mind had gone from admiring the scenery to watching Remy's every move. Her stream of consciousness took minor tangents that curved back into her curiosity about whether close friends did this sort of thing. She thought of the special place in her heart for Remy that came to her awareness not too long ago. It seemed the more Remy and she got into these little dances, the harder she found it to chalk it up to them being simply friends. What was he playing at?

Remy was touching elbows with her on the railing, waiting for her to say something.

"Ya better be able to keep your focus on the job and off me," Rogue said, backing off a little. Remy was not sure if she was being serious, flirting back, or both if that was possible. Then he saw that smile. He still was not sure what tone her voice was taking, but she did not seem to mind him paying her compliments. He saw it as an inferred invitation for more in the future.

He checked his impulses and came crashing back to the reality of their situation: they did have a job to do, "Of course, Chéri. All good thieves can multitask."

That scoundrel's grin of his again; Rogue rolled her eyes, "Fahne, Ah wash mah hands of this if ya get the spit smacked out of your mouth."

She went back inside the room, unaware of Remy's eyes still tracking her. More accurately, he was tracking the sway of her hips with that skirt. He averted his eyes finally when his better nature came back to mentally smack him upside the head.

_What de hell are you thinkin'? What's flirtin' with de femme gonna accomplish? _Remy's mental voice chastised him for losing control. It was strange, he never had that happen much when flirting with any woman. Then again, Rogue was not just any woman. She was a class of her own that kept drawing him in. Was this simply because they understood each other from a point of empathy? Or was this something different? It sure did not feel like any attractions Remy had felt before. With most women it was a simple one time flirtation with the occasional one-night stand. With Bella Donna it was an attraction with so much more from the moment they started hanging out. A mix of lust and genuine affection for while it lasted anyway. It was usually the former or a mix of the two that made Remy instantly attracted to a woman. With Rogue he did not have that kind of instant attraction. There was no lust, but there was a passion that spawned compassion between them. Something deep inside was awaking, but he could not tell what. That he could feel. This was strange.

Did attractions take only one form, or do they change so that we are always pleasantly caught off-guard when we realize them? Was this why people cherish the little details about every relationship, because the beginning was strange?

"Dieu, maybe I should jus' focus on de job… for now," Remy muttered to himself.

Remy sat down on one of the beds with the others with him and let them in on what he had planned during the last couple days. There was a reason they all, like Rogue, were dressed for a night out.

"Dere's a club in de French Quarter where de Rippers and de Thieves meet. It's a neutral ground," Remy began, "Meetings happen same time every week. Dat makes tonight de night I can get closest to Jean-Luc without sneakin' into de mansion."

"How are you going to get him to remove the hit?" Piotr asked.

"Not sure, hadn' really planned dat far," Remy shrugged his shoulders. Truth was he was not sure if he would be able to get the hit removed with a conversation, and even if Jean-Luc said he removed it Remy had no insurance it would stay removed.

Of all the people who could chime in ideas, no one expected one from Kitty. She had sat simply next to Piotr listening intently. This was a bona fide valley girl who had no experience with the criminal underworld. That did not mean the beautiful mind of Katherine Pryde was shy of ideas.

"Perhaps you should find out why he put the hit on you in the first place. Maybe it'd like, give a clue to how you can get the hit removed?" Kitty interjected nervously. Piotr and Remy, veterans of the criminal underworld, looked at each other humbled by the petite little girl who still slept with a stuffed dragon at the mansion. Nervously, Kitty smiled. Both men were impressed

"Not to be a…what's the term, downer? But how are we going to even get in. I thought there was an age limit," Piotr pointed out.

"I got dat handled," Remy said, touching the side of one of his eyes, garnering a raised eyebrow from Piotr, "De meeting's in an hour. Best we don' be late?"

Remy went over to his bag and retrieved his trench coat and a black fedora, "Shall we?"

The club where ranking members of both the Ripper Assassins and the Thieves Guild met was one of the bigger ones in New Orleans. It had two sections: a bar and dance floor at the front and further back a dinner theatre for musical performances. The bar catered to everyone while the kitchen mainly catered to those with tickets to the show. Privacy could be found if a group desired it, but at a cost. Tonight there were no live performances, thinning the crowd a little.

On the street outside of the club, Remy, Rogue, Kitty, and Piotr mixed into the crowd lounging outside of the club. Once they managed to weave through the crowd to the front door, only the bouncer stood between them.

"ID please," the bouncer said in a gruff voice. Remy made eye contact with the bouncer, who at first was put off by the black sclera and red iris of his eyes. Before his discomfort could take hold, one of Remy's hidden talents finally had some use.

"Dat really necessary, monsieur? You'd really deny dese lovely femmes some fun on dere spring break?" Remy said enticingly, not once breaking eye contact with the bouncer. Rogue knew immediately what was going on. After the first time she absorbed Remy in Magneto's base, she had been aware of his hypnotic abilities. She long suspected that was what kept her from attacking him the first time they met, but never had thought to ask. Another mental note she made for herself.

The bouncer's pupils fluctuated for a few seconds before he smiled and said, "Sure… just dis once. Have fun, ladies."

The inside of the club was dim and atmospheric. Cigarette Smoke accented the blue, purple and red neon lights that decorated the interior. Electronic, hip-hop, and many other genres were blasted through the speakers. The dance floor heavily populated for how young the night was. Kitty could not help but feel compelled to it; she loved to dance. For the moment though, she kept her back pressed against the closest wall along with everyone she was with.

"So, comrade what now?" Piotr asked.

Remy scanned the club for people he would recognize, and also potential Ripper thugs. He already knew where the meeting was going to be held; Same VIP room on the second floor. Finding Jean-Luc was not his concern. Figuring out how many thieves and assassins were between them was.

"Don' look. Second booth from de right near de bar… Ripper security, I think," Remy muttered to Piotr, "Dere's some guards by de VIP entrance… think you can help with de ones near de bar?"

"Sure," Piotr answered simply. He whispered the plan in Kitty's ear and she lit up with anticipation. She practically dragged Piotr onto the dance floor and made their way gradually toward the two guards Remy had pinged, "So, um, how do you suppose we 'deal' with them?"

Kitty looked back at Piotr as she tugged him along, "Just follow my lead, big guy."

She led him to a spot on the dance floor in front of the guards' view of the VIP entrance. Merely standing there was not going to help Remy and Rogue out any. As the situation called for something more, Kitty got her wish to dance. She moved with the rhythm; her body's movements were as elaborate as the music playing in the background. She was free, and a sure distraction for the guards. Piotr on the other hand was more reserved and quite stiff. His movements, sadly, were an eyesore. Fish out of water was putting it kindly. There could have been many things contributing to his "issue": their primary task, strange environment for him, maybe the fact his short sleeve button down was buttoned short of the top button and tucked in. Between the southern heat and the amount of bodies in the club, it was like a sauna even on the edge of the dance floor.

Kitty grabbed his hands, "Hey, Pete, you can relax a bit. You want to make it convincing right?"

"Of course," Piotr said, ceasing his current dancing endeavor, "You have suggestion?"

"Like a few. Uh, no offense," Kitty said with a giggle. She started by grabbing the hem of Piotr's shirt and pulling out of his pants. With a single finger she traced the center of his body from his neck down to the bottom button of his shirt. It fell open without so much as a thread disturbed, revealing a plain-white wife-beater underneath.

"Katya?"

"You'll thank me for it. Now, really, follow my lead," Kitty said, almost like it was an order. If that was the case, Piotr had no objections to following. Kitty backed off a bit from beat and began rocking from side to side. A simple step that was comfortable. Piotr mimicked it and just kept following her lead, within reason. There were some things that he just knew he was not supposed to mimic. This seemed to make Kitty all the more happy, "So… are we doing a good job?"

"Hard for him to pay attention to much when I'm standing in the way," Piotr answered, smiling. He looked around the rest of the club to spot Remy, but as he should have expected, Remy had disappeared without a trace, with Rogue close by no doubt.

Across the club Remy and Rogue were nearing the VIP stairway, and the two bouncers stationed there.

"Now what?" Rogue asked, "Can't just barge past them without makin' a scene."

"Ways and means, Chéri, ways and means," Remy said slyly. As they approached, the bouncers visibly stiffened.

"Sorry, private party," one of them said. With the same sleight of the hand Remy had for cards, so was for two one hundred dollar bills that appeared in his hands. Remy waved the bills in front of their faces. They exchanged looks for a second before taking the bills and waving him and Rogue through, "Anyone asks, ya snuck in."

Once they were a safe distance away Rogue asked, "Do Ah wanna know where you got that?"

"Trust me, Rogue, de garcon they belonged to won' be missin' 'em," he answered, Rogue gave him a glare. Damn his old habits.

"So how are we gonna play this?" Rogue asked, curious as to how Remy intended on crashing the meeting. Again, Remy flashed a sly grin.

"I think a little ruckus is in order."

Inside the VIP lounge Jean-Luc sipped a Syrah. It had a full taste, subtle opening, and luscious aftertaste. Across the table he sat at was the ever-balding Marius Bordeaux, head of the Ripper Assassins.

"Lawyer's still dealin' wit' Julian up north. Lucky your boy is hard to kill," Marius droned, " I hope you realize dat I'll be addin' de lawyer fees to your bill."

"Naturally. I hope _you_ realize that your daughter was supposed to be de only one to go after him for a reason," Jean-Luc shot back. There was a knock on the door, immediately causing all the body guards to aim their weapons at it. Marius motioned for one of them to go check it out. Just as the guard was nearing the door, a glowing object slid right under the door. A playing card, the ace of spades.

"Oh shi-" the card exploded sending the body guard into a collision course with the ceiling. The door burst open followed by a flurry of charged cards that connected with the three other body guards.

Remy and Rogue rushed in, engaging the body guards as they stood up dazed. Rinse, repeat. Rogue jumped into the first one she could, connecting the heel of her boot to his chest. The force of the hit sent the guard flying into a wall, down for the count. Remy went to work with his staff, knocking away the guns each body guard had before they could discharge. He may have disarmed them, but they were still deadly. He sent a charge through his staff and slammed it into one of the body guards, actually putting him through a wall.

Wanting to end this quickly, Rogue drained the last one before he could collect himself. The element of surprise had done it again.

"Remy, Remy, Remy," Jean-Luc began to clap, as he stood from behind the table he and Marius took cover behind, "Always knew how to make an entrance."

Marius stood up next to him with a look of shock in his eye, "Hmm… he really showed."

"Dat he did. You and your men can leave Marius," Jean-Luc said, standing poised toward his son. Marius corralled his men together and left as swiftly as possible. Remy was at a loss. Considering there was an open contract on his head, he did not expect this, "Welcome home, son. Drink?"

Rogue saw a flash of fury in Remy's eyes. No sooner did Jean-Luc pose his question did Remy bound over to him and deliver his answer.

He smashed his fist into his father's face while barking, "Encule!"

Remy rubbed his hand afterward; he usually did not punch with a clench fist, "Put a contract on me?"

Another punch to the face.

"Couldn' get me killed now you try and weasel out of it? Encule!" another punch, this time to the gut. Then another, and another. Remy kept laying them into his surrogate father, cursing him in French as he did so.

"Remy!" Rogue rushed over and grabbed his arm before he could deliver another. She had a firm grasp. As much as this man deserved it, she was not about to let Remy beat him to death. He struggled against her grip for second before backing off, giving his father a chance to recover.

"Nice to see you too, son," Jean-Luc spat freshly drawn blood onto the carpet. He raised his arm up to Rogue, who rejected it. She may have saved him, but that did not mean he deserved those little courtesies. She left him to help himself up.

"Save the hellos for someone who cares Jean-Luc," Remy growled bitterly. He continued to rub his hand, now throbbing from pounding into dense bone and soft flesh, "What did I do to piss you off dis time?"

Jean-Luc limped over to the chair he left that bottle of Syrah at and slumped into it, "To be honest, nothin'."

"So, what? All dis was just your idea of fun?" Remy shook his fist out, hoping he did not break anything.

"I needed you back home, mon fils," Jean-Luc took a sip out of the bottle after realizing his class had been broken during the scuffle.

"A phone call would have worked," Remy spat bitterly.

"We both know dat ain' true, Remy. You disappeared on us, remember. Dis was de only way I was goin' to get your attention. And now dat I got it, maybe you consider listenin' to me for what I have to say," Jean-Luc smiled like the devil did right before one sold their soul to him.

"You're a monster," Rogue hissed, "Your attempt at getting' Remy's attention nearly got him killed! Now you want to use him?"

"Ah, Rogue, you must know dat I'd never do anythin' to hurt mon fils. I heard about Julian, dat was jus' an unfortunate mishap," Jean-Luc still wore that same smile as he made his claim.

"Figure's you'd plan somethin' like dis out. All to get me back here…," Remy took the bottle of Syrah away from Jean-Luc and slammed it down on the table. His patience had reached its end with Jean-Luc and he wanted to get his contract lifted, "What do you want?"

"You don' get to where I am without doin' anythin' it takes to get what you want. But, yes Remy, you've seen right through me. I don' need you, jus' your skills and your powers. De family has run into a little bit of a problem," Jean-Luc began, "You help me with dis problem, and I'll consider our business concluded for good. Now how can you turn down a deal like dat?"

Rogue saw Remy's face fall from anger to anguish. He hid it well, but she knew his body language. His tells. She knew he had struggled to get away from Jean-Luc and the family's issues. Just like he feared, he was being pulled back into this world. Remy could almost feel the strings being reattached to his body for Jean-Luc to make him dance.

With a sigh, Remy said, "Fine, you'll get your last favor from me. Den we're through. On one condition."

"Dat is?"

"After dis is done, you also stay away from Rogue," Remy pressed.

It was sad for Rogue to see, but this was out of her hands.

"Deal," Jean-Luc agreed, still wearing his devilish smile, "Tell me, Remy, do you know the international thief known as de Chatte Noire?"

"De Black Cat?"

**A/N: Yes I know, I suck at frequent updates. 17 credits, work, etc. Sorry again. The action was somewhat mediocre, run-of-the-mill in my opinion. Hopefully the Cat and Mouse stuff in the next chapter will be more fun to read. I'll be integrating Kitty and Piotr more in the next chapter**

**Next Chapter: Remy, Rogue, Kitty, and Piotr must track down the Black Cat and recover something she recently "acquired". Yes, the stunning and seductive Felicia Hardy of Spider-Man fame will appear for one chapter. Imagine all the possibilities (the good, the bad, and the down right sexy?)**

**Coming in the future (since you all have been so patient): Once Remy's business with his father is finished, the road trip home will take a few detours. Namely one for Rogue that will take her back to Caldecott, Mississippi to confront someone from her past. (no this is not the future event Mystique spoke of)**

**Oh, and whatever did happen to William Stryker? A question that will be answered soon.**


	14. The New Orleans Job

**I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any Marvel Properties**

**Again thank you for your patience. Here's the long overdue chapter. Damned writers block.**

Chapter 14: The New Orleans Job

After his and Rogue's theatric interruption of the inter-guild meeting, Remy sat in his hotel room putting his feelers out to old contacts trying to find Black Cat. He wasted no time getting out of the club as soon as he could. He needed to put some distance between him and his "father" in fear of beating the man any more. He simply asked for the basics and was on his way, with Rogue not far behind. Piotr and Kitty elected to stay behind for a little while longer; it seemed they were enjoying themselves. They returned to the hotel an hour after Rogue and Remy

Jean-Luc had the contract for Remy's life temporarily rescinded so he could pursue his given task. It turned out that the Black Cat had stolen an item right from under the Thieves' Guild's nose: a diamond stash. A portion of the same collection Remy was going after when he was collared by SHIELD. The implications of this were far-reaching. If it got out that someone could successfully steal from the Thieves' Guild then business would suffer, they would be targeted by other factions that would regularly just leave them alone. In addition to that, the diamonds the Black Cat had stolen were worth more than their monetary value. Failure to deliver on their promise would result in the Thieves' Guild losing a valuable ally and client known solely as the Kingpin, leader of a mafia coalition in New York City. His interest in the diamonds was unknown. Loss of clientele was exponentially more damaging than loss of a score.

Remy's job was simple: get the diamonds back. Why a mob boss was so interested in the diamonds baffled him. More likely than not, it was a means to another end. Regardless, that stash was Remy's ticket to freedom from the guild, total autonomy from his former life.

While he waited for a few calls from his underground contacts, Remy glanced over and saw Piotr lying on his bed, journal resting on his chest, and his eyes glazed over. He was thinking deeply about something, or someone. Remy did notice he had a contented smile about him when he came in a little bit ago. The tin woodsman must have had a lot of fun with a certain jeune femme. Remy allowed himself a smile, knowing that his usually stiff friend was loosening up a bit. It did not take long for his mind to return to the task at hand though.

On the other side of the wall that the group was sharing, Rogue was deciding whether or not she should dress in her nightwear or just something more comfortable in case Remy wanted to get a move on the Black Cat that night. For the sake of insulating the X-Men she did not bring her uniform. The last thing mutantkind needed was a front-page story of their poster-children committing any kind of crimes. But she did bring clothing comfortable and fitting for sneaking around if it became necessary. She changed into a pair of dark jeans, a tank top and a grey hoody.

Not long before then, Kitty had returned completely smitten and radiant. Rogue could see she was the Kitty Pryde she knew and loved.

"Ah imagine you had fun," Rogue said, curious for details, strangely. It was not often she bothered with the _details_ of those kinds of aspects of life. Then again, sometimes it seemed like the only way to know about that kind of life. Now that she was learning to control her powers, and making progress, Rogue found this strange new world all the more intriguing.

Kitty swooned, "Yeah… totally."

She fell backward onto her own bed staring happily up into the ceiling. Rogue definitely knew a crush when she saw one, spurring her to press for more details.

"So, uh… what happened?" Rogue asked, Kitty immediately sat up giddy and unable to decide where to start.

"This is going to sound, like I don't know, anti-climactic, but Pete was just being a good guy. I mean he's so reserved and everything, but he just was looking out for me without expecting anything in return," Kitty answered, "I showed him how to dance, then took a walk and just talked. It was nice being with a guy and the conversation not boiling down to an argument."

"Ya lahke him?" Rogue asked.

"Of course I like him, he's a good guy," Kitty answered, Rogue shook her head.

"Ah mean do you..." Rogue sighed knowing what terminology she had to resort to, "…_lahke _him lahke him?"

Kitty stumbled over her words, "Well, I… Peter's a nice guy, yeah. But things with Lance… I don't know. I haven't really thought about it."

Then the awkward pause came. Rogue saw this as good a sign as any that Kitty was really getting over Lance, "Well, Ah guess it's a good idea to not rush into somethin' lahke this. Right?"

"Yeah," Kitty nodded. Her mind began to go a million miles a minute wondering about Piotr and whether there was an attraction there beyond merely friendship. Sure she had caught him glancing over at her on occasion, but was that because he was concerned, attracted, both? It was hard to say. Kitty's experience with men and romance was Lance and what she had seen from other people's relationships.

Before she could get too lost on that particular train of thought, she asked Rogue, "So how'd it go?"

"There was a fight, nothin' me and Remy couldn' handle. Unfortunately, Remy has to steal somethin' back for his father in order to sever his ties to the Thieves' Guild," Rogue explained. She saw a lot of herself in Remy during his confrontation with his father. Just as she "killed" Mystique after releasing Apocalypse, Remy could have nearly killed Jean-Luc if she had not stepped in.

Rogue explained what she did know about what Remy had to do, telling her to be ready just in case they were needed, "The sooner we get this done the sooner Remy's free."

"You're really concerned for him," Kitty said, picking up on small little things about how Rogue was talking; the way her voice was pained when she talked about Remy's well-being, the way it became firm and commanding when she talked about how they were getting him out of this.

"Of course Ah am. He's mah friend," Rogue replied simply. She looked over at the wall between them and the guys. When they returned Remy practically launched himself into his room to "get in contact with some old friends" as he said. Rogue could see in his body language, and hear in his tone of voice, that he was still at a loss from having to deal with is father. Anger, confusion, uncertainty all afflicted him. Seeing that struck more than just a few notes in Rogue. "Ah don't know how parents are supposed to be, but Ah know it's not lahke this."

_Damn you, Jean-Luc,_ Rogue thought to herself. Just being around him wore Remy down.

"Ah'm gonna go check on him. See if we have any leads on this Black Cat," Rogue said. Kitty phased her through the wall and smiled brightly as soon as she was out of sight. The last month had been something of a spectacle between seeing Rogue hopeful about her future, alive and compassionate with people around the mansion. Kitty knew Remy had to have had something to do with it, and made a mental note to keep an eye on both of them.

Rogue found Remy standing out on the balcony taking drags of his cigarette, and talking on the phone likely with one of his contacts. His back was to Rogue. Curious, she sauntered over quietly.

"_Comment allez-vous, mon frère_?" Remy asked, he must have been talking to his brother Henri. Rogue never met him, but Remy mentioned him and his wife in the passing, "_Bon… Je le sais, et merci. Parler de cette, comment va-t-elle?... Très bonne. Well, mon frère, merci pour l'information. Au revoir_."

Remy sighed in what seemed like relief. Whatever Henri had told him had to have been promising. Remy turned back toward his room and was surprised to see Rogue standing there just inside. He had not even heard her approach or come in the door. Either she was getting good at being stealthy or he was losing his edge. He resigned himself to the former since she had been absorbing a lot of him lately.

Seeing her back in her casual clothes was generally how Remy liked to see her. Even so, he could not deny that seeing her in a dress on occasion was a welcome change of pace from her usual goth attire.

"Ah take it ya have some good news," Rogue inferred joining him out on the balcony.

"C'est vrai, Chéri," he replied, "My brother caught wind of what Jean-Luc had been up to and called in some favors for me. A couple of favors I won' mind payin' back, to say de least."

"So where does that leave us?" Rogue asked and Remy smiled.

"Dat leaves us with de details I need to find dis Black Cat," Remy answered. He made his way back into his hotel room, grabbed his coat with his tool belt. Kitty and Piotr joined them, eager to finish this business so they all could enjoy spring break.

Remy's brother, Henri, had managed to provide them a location where the Black Cat was staying while in the Big Easy, no simple task. In addition to her location, Remy's contacts were only able to provide him with basic background about who they were dealing with. He relayed all this information to Rogue, Piotr, and Kitty. Now came the hard part: coming up with a plan to get those diamonds and executing it before Black Cat decided to skip town. There was no guarantee that they would be able to find her again.

"How do you know she has not fenced the diamonds yet?" Piotr asked.

"De best fences in N' Awlins dat would take the diamonds only deal with de guild. Dey can' trust outsiders," Remy replied, "Non, Black Cat will be sittin' on de diamonds until she can safely get it out of de city. She'll have it close by."

* * *

Black Cat, Felicia Hardy, climbed back into her hotel suite from the balcony, knapsack full of the night's earnings slung over her back. Her hotel was dark just as she had left it and undisturbed by the hotel staff as she preferred it. The "do not disturb" sign hanging outside her door for hours on end probably sent a wide variety of messages to everyone passing by, however this was not her town and bringing pleasure around was a risk. Hot merchandise nixes any chance that one can safely bring back a date for the night. Black Cat smiled to herself though; there would be plenty of time for fun once she got back to New York and fenced her wares. Nineteen years old and she had already accrued a sizable fortune from her work.

She pulled off her mask, laid her bag down and pulled the zipper on the front of her suit down to her naval, exposing supple skin. A warm bath after a night's work was called for. She entered the bedroom, ready to strip down but before she did she noticed something extra on her nightstand. A playing card, the king of spades, left there by someone.

"Bon soir, petite," a voice sounded out of the darkness of her bedroom. Black Cat focused her eyes and saw the silhouette of a man lounging on her sofa, completely uninhibited by the fact he was in dangerous territory.

Remy's thick accent seemed to be only more prominent as he spoke with Black Cat. It did seem to make her more relaxed. As much as he wanted to concentrate on the job, he could not help but admire her figure; all her curves were accented by her skin-tight outfit, her snow-white hair was exotic and wild, and all that silky flesh exposed on her front, while not putting everything out in plain sight, teased Remy to no end. The way she had her outfit unzipped made it explicitly apparent she did not wear a bra while out on a job. The suit must have taken care of that. She made no move to zip up her front, comfortable and well aware she was sexual desire incarnate. Pair that with dry spell Remy had put up with for the entire time he had been at the Xavier institute, and one had a recipe for trouble.

_Wonder what Rogue would look like in dat outfit,_ Remy wondered to himself. His mind wandering back to her some how made him feel a little more confident that he was in control

Remy shifted his weight on the sofa, as it was becoming somewhat uncomfortable sitting the way he was, on account of some _un_controllable bodily responses to what he saw, "You usually dress like dat?"

A tantalizing smile spread across Black Cat's face, "On special nights. You usually sneak into hotel rooms like this?"

"Thieves are as they do. And as much as I would like to say dis was some extreme scheme to ask ya out, I have business with you," Remy pulled out a deck of cards and began to fiddle with them as he talked with Black Cat. She examined him further paying less attention to his handsome smile and more toward the equipment around his belt. There were tools that she recognized that were in any thief's inventory. He was as he said he was.

"Shame," Black Cat pouted her lips and promptly zipped up her outfit partway, but kept enough exposed to keep Remy off kilter. Part of him said damn while the other said thank God. She went over to the sofa and sat next to Remy, keeping a close watch on him. She made sure the way she was sitting next to him gave him a view of her neckline. Any and every advantage was fair game if this went terribly, "And I was so hoping to have a little fun tonight. You know what they say…"

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy._ Oui, je ce sais_," Remy finished her sentence, forcing his eyes to not wander. It was not as easy as one might think, "_Mais_, business comes before pleasure. You stole somethin' from de Thieves' Guild."

"Ah, yes. Diamonds that did not belong to them in the first place," Black Cat leaned back against the arm of her sofa, less at ease with Remy, "I'm afraid I can't just give them to you."

"Can't or won't?" Remy asked, his tone became firm and less playful.

"Does it matter?" Black Cat twisted a few locks of hair around between her fingers, "I have a reputation to protect. As you know, reputation is everything in this business. As is honor amongst thieves."

"Trust me, I know," Remy grumbled. Black Cat sat up from the sofa.

"I'll trust you to see your way out. Our business if over," Black Cat declared, turning tail. That was not Remy had in mind though, he grabbed her wrist tenderly.

"No need to be so hasty, petite," Remy attempted the charm again. This time the results were arguably worse.

His grip was not painful by any means, but that was beside the point, "Sorry, babe. No can do."

She twisted her arm around and broke Remy's grip. She grabbed Remy's arms, rolled back, and launched him with her legs into the next room, "I can show you the door at the very least."

Remy landed with a crash as hit the small table and rolled into a pair of easy chairs. That's when Black Cat discovered his true intentions, he was merely a distraction. Two other women were creeping around the front room of her hotel suite, likely looking for the diamonds. Rogue and Kitty were at a loss as to what they should do. Black Cat knew right then that Remy had no intention of making a deal with her; she merely came back to her place at an inconvenient time for them.

Remy picked himself up in a daze. The plan had taken a wrong turn, but they had her right there, "I guess I should have seen this coming. I'll take it as my exit cue."

"Ah got her!" Rogue bounded over the overturned furniture and went for Black Cat's knapsack. Claws extended from the femme fatale's gloves and she slashed at Rogue as she advanced. She was no pushover in a fight though. Logan had made sure of that. Her ability surprised the Black Cat as they exchanged blows. It got messy when the Black Cat slashed at her again and tore on of her hoody's sleeves off. Kitty joined the fray but rather than fight, she used her intangibility to phase her way through the Black Cat but grab the knapsack. She went solid again once she was through.

Black Cat was stunned of course to find that she was dealing with mutants, but this was not the first time she had dealt with super-powered individuals. No, she had gained her first experiences with that kind of encounter thanks to a flirt of hers back in NYC.

Rogue came at her again despite Kitty having the knapsack. Black Cat simply played bullfighter; as soon as Rogue was close enough she leapt up into the air and pushed Rogue along her way with a dainty hand. The little push set her off balance, but Remy, as if paying good fortune back, caught her. Black Cat shot a grappling hook out of a tiny contraption on her wrist, and snagged her bag back right out of Kitty's hands and landed on the floor, barely making a sound. She shot another grappling hook out of her other wrist, this time aiming straight for Kitty. By reflex Kitty phased whenever any impending danger came at her. It had gotten to a point where she could avoid a bullet upon hearing the corresponding gunshot. The grappling hook passed harmlessly through her and connected to the next room. Black Cat zipped back into her bedroom through Kitty, and dove straight out of her balcony. She shot her grappling hook out into the side of the hotel and began a save descent to the ground.

"Petite, you think you can phase us down fast?" Remy asked frantically.

"Wait, what?" Rogue looked at Remy and Kitty nervously. Her apprehensions were ignored though, there was no time to hesitate

Kitty grabbed both, of her companions and the floor at their feet went from feeling hard, to feeling like soft sand as they passed through it, and then it was like they were floating. They descended through room after room, out of synch with the physical world, bound only by the gravity that pulled down on them. Even that force could be barely felt. Rogue looked over at Kitty as she continued to phase them all through floor after floor and saw sweat building up on her brow. Her tolerance for phasing people had increased immensely during her time at the institute, but it was not everyday she was phasing herself and two other people through twenty some floors.

Black Cat reached the ground with little difficulty, but her appearance was drawing attention. Comically enough, she could see in the faces of some of the people watching her that they were wondering if they were seeing things on account of whatever controlled substance they indulged in. She looked around and saw none of her pursuers, but she knew that the chase was not over. She tore off toward the street, looking for the nearest building she could zip up to. Her looking for an escape route came around and bit her when she bumped into a burly, clean cut man towering over her. The force she hit him with barely fazed him, yet knocked her on her backside. Strangely he offered her his hand.

"Sorry about that," he answered in a deep voice, only made more so by what Black Cat assumed was a Russian accent. She accepted his hand and was promptly helped up.

"Ugh, would love to chat, handsome, but I have places to be," She tried to run in another direction but she found her hand stuck in his iron grip.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," he said sternly. Black Cat realized he was with _them_.

"Hope you have balls of steel, handsome," Black Cat hissed, she kicked her foot up between his legs expecting him to double over like all men did when kicked in the groin. Instead she ended up just bruising her foot. She cursed loudly, biting her lip to stave off the pain.

"Occasionally," Piotr said, careful to watch Black Cat carefully. Remy told him she was devious when the situation called for it. She had a reputation for in NYC.

Black Cat, using her free hand, pulled something from her belt. It looked like a small perfume bottle. She jammed it straight into Piotr's face and sprayed. While his eyes had become metallic, his nostrils were still wide open. In seconds, his nasal cavity felt like it had hot pepper juice swishing around inside of it. Piotr's grip slackened and Black Cat slipped out.

Remy and Rogue reached the ground and helped an exhausted Kitty over to Piotr. He was forced to go back into his organic form so his body would naturally deal with the foreign substance he was sprayed with. Kitty stayed and attended to Piotr, as she was more of a liability in a chase for the moment.

Thanks to her bruised foot, Black Cat had to hobble away until she could find a building tall enough that she could use to break the chase. Her luck was not meant to hold out in that regard. No sooner had she escaped Piotr's grip that Rogue and Remy were catching up to her.

_Damn foot,_ Black Cat cursed to herself silently extending her claws as Rogue gained on her. She was about a foot away when Remy saw the small metal tips spring out of their fingers. Then he drew his queen of hearts. A quick charge and a toss later, the card collided with Black Cat's hand. The concussive force within the card launched her forward with a small explosion, saving Rogue from severe wounds. The white-haired thief laid in a heap on the ground in a daze. Rogue swiped the knapsack from her shoulder and examined its contents. Her face fell slightly, and Remy knew what she had discovered.

"Dey ain' in dere are they…" Remy inferred. Rogue nodded.

Black Cat groaned and sat up, sore from what she just endured, "You think I'm stupid enough to just leave those diamonds lying around."

Rogue gave her a icy look, and then turned back to Remy, "One touch and Ah can fahnd out where she hid them."

"If you want the diamonds so bad you're just going to have to steal them from the next person who's going to have them," Black Cat hissed. Right then, Remy had a conniption.

"Wait, you ain' after de diamonds for yourself?" he asked. Rogue looked at him uncertain, curious as to what was going on up in that mind of his.

"No, I would have preferred to have stayed up in New York, but the money for the job was great," she explained as she stood up. She hobbled to one side still favoring her bruised foot, "I'm not sure why my client wanted the diamonds but I'm pretty sure they're not for his wife."

"So you really don' have much of an investment in de fate of de diamonds," Remy concluded, Black Cat simply shrugged and smiled.

"No investment beyond my payment. Exactly why I can't let you have them. Do I really have to invoke honor amongst thieves?" she asked going back to that throaty, yearning tone. Rogue's fists clenched as she watched Black Cat unmistakably tease and tempt Remy with her…assets. Kitty, while still exhausted and hanging onto Piotr's arm for support, saw this further pushing her desire to know what she was seeing. Naturally, due to the circumstances, it would wait.

"Perhaps we can both get what we want," Remy's suggestion intrigued everyone. It seemed like a long shot that them all working together to get what they all want would work. So far their interactions consisted of a scuffle, a chase, trying to undercut each other, etc.

Stranger team-ups have happened. Black Cat knew that all to well thanks to that flirt of hers up in New York.

"I'm listening," Black Cat smiled, intrigued by the Cajun's offer.

"Ya sure we can trust her, Remy?" Rogue asked from her position. She was hidden amongst above-ground graves in their getaway car watching the main road going through one of New Orleans unique graveyards. The balaclava she had to wear was itching and she was sort of looking for a distraction. She was genuinely concerned about dealing with the Black Cat though.

Remy was obscured by one of the small tombs carved as a throwback to roman architecture. He was sweating up a storm thanks to his own balaclava and the humidity of the Big Easy. At least Rogue had air conditioning inside the car. He was standing across from her on the other side of the road. His voice chimed in through the small headphone in her ear. It was on a private frequency, "Non, but dere is such a thing as honor amongst thieves. Dere are rules dat are followed."

Rogue could not help but see the irony in that sentiment. She turned her attention to Black Cat who was waiting in the center of the road for her client's representatives to show up. It turned out she had stashed the diamonds somewhere around the graveyard. It seemed she was commissioned by a New York Mafioso to get the diamonds. Remy was not sure if he should be impressed or worried that this crime boss was bold enough to steal from the Thieves' Guild. Either way it would not matter, he'd have those diamonds soon, and the Black Cat would have her money. At the moment the diamonds were safely out of sight.

Rogue was more than happy to do this for multiple reasons. The sooner this was done the sooner Black Cat would go back off to whatever litter box she inhabited. Rogue had been able to keep control of herself, but seeing and hearing her push up against Remy was getting to her. She reminded herself they were not dating but she almost felt like he was…hers. Something was strange about these feelings; friends who are just friends (even really good close friends) do not get jealous if that was all they want to be. If that was the case, did she… could she possibly want more.

_Damn it girl, think about now. Mobsters, crashing a deal, lahkely gettin' shot at…_ Rogue scolded herself. This was definitely not the time or the place.

"Kitty, Pete? How're you two doin'?" Remy asked over the shared com link.

"We're fine. I see an SUV entering the graveyard," Piotr reported. They were both hiding in the same position, hidden like Remy amongst the floating graves. Wherever it was they had a better line of sight on the graveyard if the could see that and Remy could not.

"You're on Cat," Remy informed her. She glared in his direction.

"I do this for a living, hun," she hissed over the com. Remy did not doubt her skills, but this was a plan thrown together last minute. Remy always liked having at least a day to plan a job out, more depending on the complexity of the job. There was a wide window for things to go wrong. Nevertheless, this was as close to the diamonds as he could get and there would be no opportunity after this.

The SUV came to a creeping halt about ten feet away from the Black Cat. Four young, sharply dressed men stepped out wearing tailored suits, expensive wrist watches, and one wore a small gold chain around his olive-skinned neck. One of them, assumingly the leader, carried a duffel bag likely filled with cash. Remy saw some unnatural bulges at their sides; they were armed. No matter, there were ways around that. Black Cat's _assets_ made for a good distraction anyway. Instead of watching her, the grunts were focused on parts of her.

"Alright let's do this," the money man grunted. The three other men fanned out, and one of them approached halfway to Black Cat, "You have the ice?"

"Depends… do you have the money?" she asked back. The leader nodded.

"Fifty grand, fifties, twenties, tens, all used," the money man answered, opening up the bag.

Remy could see Black Cat's brow furrow and scrunch from his position, _Don' do it…_

"The terms were a hundred thousand," Black Cat argued, "Silvermane's empire hitting hard times?"

_Damn it,_ Remy got a few cards ready, preparing for the plan to go awry.

"Forget about it, kitten," one of the grunts chirped in.

"Fine, I'll find another buyer," Black Cat threatened. She turned on her heel and began to walk away. If it did not mean his life, Remy would not have blamed her for walking away. It did not matter who the thief was, if a buyer tried to undercut them they walk away immediately. Mafiosos never appreciated the damage that a single thief could to their empire. Double-crossing one that was internationally renowned in the criminal underworld was simply idiotic. In clandestine deals such as these, the one with the goods usually has more power over the deal than the ones with the money. Luckily for everyone the money man seemed to get that.

"Hold on, wait," the money man called after her. She stopped in her stride. He snapped his fingers at one of the grunts who grabbed a second identical duffel bag from the car. They opened it and showed it was genuine, "You have the ice?"

Black Cat smiled, unzipped her front hearing the grunts swallow hard, and pulled out a small silk pouch, "Meet me halfway."

The money man grabbed both bags and went out in front of his entourage. While he did not initially ogle her, getting more up close and personal suppressed his focus and redirected it toward her partially exposed chest. Remy figured she was counting on that, since she did not zip up. The money man dropped the bags between him and Black Cat, with an arms reach between them.

"Can I see one? Gotta make sure they're genuine," the money man asked. Black Cat kindly obliged handing him a single diamond. He pulled out a lens and examined it carefully. His smile gave hope to Remy, the diamonds were real, "Magnifico."

She handed him the rest of the diamonds and slung the bags over her back. The money man examined a few more just to be certain, and found they were the real deal. He slid the pouch into his sports jacket, "Silvermane will be pleased."

"He better be," Black Cat said perkily taking off through the grave yard. When she was far enough away she chimed into everyone's com link, "Better take them while you can. And Gambit, was it? Next time you're in New York, look me up. Imagine the trouble we could get into."

Rogue's grip tightened around the steering wheel of the car, but relaxed when she heard Remy's response, "Don' hold your breath."

"Aww, your loss."

_God, what am I doin'?_ Rogue wondered to herself getting ready for what came next. She hit the ignition to the SUV she was in and gunned it toward the gate leading out of the graveyard.

"Come on, let's get this ice back to the boss," the money man ordered his grunts back into the SUV. As they began to back up out of the grave yard, Rogue came to a screeching halt behind them, "Shit, it's a trap!"

The driver tried gunning it in the other direction not seeing Piotr standing right in their path already in his metal form.

"Drive through him!" The money man barked. The driver hit the gas and sped toward Piotr, underestimating what he was capable of. Kitty visibly jumped seeing the car slam into him. He on the other hand was unaffected in the slightest as the front of the car seemingly compressed around his body. It was still in working order amazingly. SUV's were durable like that. Piotr had no intention of letting them go anywhere though. He balled a fist and punched through the hood of the car. There was a sickening sound of grinding metal as he got a firm grip on the car. The mafiosos tried to back up but Piotr had dug in to the ground. It was like trying to drag a thick tree down with a rope. As soon as they all had shaken off the slight daze from their crash they pulled out their guns and tried shooting Piotr, watching in horror as their bullets either ricocheted or compressed against the metal man before them.

Off to the side of the road Remy saw them reloading and sprinted toward the car. As soon as he reached it he laid his hand on it and gave the whole thing a charge, careful not to remove his hand…yet.

"Bon soir, mes hommes," Remy greeted them patronizingly. They were all frantic, between the metal man and their car looking like it was trying to kill them, they were not sure how things could get worse. How deliciously wrong they were.

One of the mafiosos reloaded his gun and aimed straight for Remy, "You do dat, I let go an y'all be nothin' but sizzlin' hush puppies an' grits in a matter of seconds."

"The mook's bluffing! Shoot him!" the money man shouted. Remy pulled out a card and gave it a good charge.

"You seem like de learn-from-experience-types, so here's a free lesson," he tossed the card up into the air behind him so they all could see what something that small could do. The explosion was reasonable size; small enough to keep the grave stones undamaged, but big enough to drive the point home, "Toss de guns and de keys out of de car."

Nervously, all four mafiosos complied.

"Alright, petite," Remy motioned toward Kitty who was hiding behind a few grave stones. She ran over to the car and phased into the vehicle.

Remy pointed to the money man and tapped his own jacket, indicating to Kitty where to look. It was just one thing after another for these mafiosos, who were now too stunned to resist. She retrieved pouch full of diamonds and retreated to the getaway vehicle.

"Tell Silvermane dat no one steals from de Thieves' Guild," Remy growled at the four terrified made men. They all just nodded, waiting anxiously for him to take the charge out of the vehicle. He took down the charge, and as added insurance, Piotr turned the SUV he still had his fist through onto its side. The two of them rushed back to the getaway vehicle, and as soon as they were inside, Rogue peeled out of the graveyard.

Remy looked back making sure they were not followed. He did not think four flatscan humans could turn their SUV back over fast enough to pursue, but old habits died hard. He relaxed into shotgun, relieved and surprised that they pulled it off. They drove to the bayou where the Thieves Guild was stationed and dropped the diamonds off with Jean-Luc. He gave Remy his word that he no longer had any obligations to the guild. Remy was glad for that, but did not show his gratitude to his adoptive father. Too much had happened between them for that. Before they left to get some sleep back at their hotel, Remy did tell Jean-Luc something Rogue did not expect.

"Guess I'll see you 'round Christmas," Remy said bitterly.

Jean-Luc looked away from the diamonds in his hand and nodded, "Yeah, your Tante Mattie would like dat. As would de rest of de family."

Remy stood there, returning the nod. He stood for a little while longer, as if he was waiting for Jean-Luc to do something. Rogue watched intently for whatever it was, but judging from the way Remy's face fell it never did. The final words between both Lebeau men were a pair of half-hearted, "Au revoir."

Once they got back to the hotel, Remy took a detour into the jazz bar. He needed to have a smoke and a drink. He took a seat at the bar and zoned out. He just placed his fake ID on the bar table and ordered a Bourbon. Rogue had quietly followed him into the bar and sat next to him. She told the bartender just water, and was not even carded for even entering the joint.

Remy gave her a grin, "I guess I really oh ya, eh Chéri?"

Rogue returned a smile and asked him, "You okay, sug?"

"Oui, jus' takin' de edge from de job off," Remy answered, it was partially true.

"You realleh gonna visit your family around Christmas?" Rogue asked, still unconvinced Remy would do that, given the current state of things.

"My issues are jus' with Jean-Luc. I shouldn' shut everyone else out jus' because dere's some bad blood between me and him," Remy answered. She realized that he must have been waiting for some reconciliation or apology from Jean-Luc back at the bayou. But it never came. He saw her concern, and her sorrowful empathy, "Don' fret about it, Rogue. We did good, didn' we?"

"Ah was jus' the driver," Rogue could feel a blush coming on.

"Don' sell yourself short, Cher. You'd make a good partner in crime," Remy gave her a playful shove with his shoulder, "You practically masterminded dis thing by kidnappin' moi. Went toe to toe wit' another femme fatale…"

Rogue smiled at Remy in that way that always made his heart sing, "Another, huh?"

Remy's jaw dropped when he realized what he just said. Femme fatale? How did that slip out?

"Well, uh… what I meant by dat was-"

"Shh, Remy, before you hurt yourself. Ah'm just teasin' you," Rogue giggled. She had to admit it was fun knocking the confident and flirty Cajun off balance like that.

"Oh… right," Remy let out a tiny chuckle of his own, but it could not hide…

_Regret?_ Rogue wondered to herself. Remy finished his drink, and placed a tip on the counter.

"It's getting' late, Chéri. We probably should get on our way home come mornin'," he suggested, offering his arm to her. Gingerly she held it all the way up to their neighboring rooms, "Say, you wanna have another session in de mornin'? I'm sure de professor can observe from dat brain tank of his."

"Ah…Ah'd love to," Rogue agreed without a second thought.

"Figured I owe you dat much comin' all de way down here," he quipped back. Rogue gave his hand a squeeze.

"Rems, you don' owe me a thing. We're…" Rogue wanted to say friends, but she was struggling more to get it out.

"Friends." They both said at the same time, laughing lightly together. They stood there, unable to pull themselves away from just gazing at the other, somehow naturally losing themselves in fields of red and green, black and white.

"Bon Soir, Chéri," Remy finally said, he gave her hand a slight squeeze and soon they found themselves in each other's arms. Rogue pulled away first, holding onto Remy's hand until she slipped quietly back into her room, _Yeah, dat femme is something else._

* * *

**Thank you again for your patience. To make it up, I will update this story before any of my others.**

**Next Chapter: Rogue and Remy's early morning session has unexpected results as Rogue tries to extend her control. A new obstacle in her path toward control is revealed. As the group head home, Rogue has them take a detour back to Caldecott, Mississippi to confront this new challenge. Rogue-centered chapter.**


	15. Sweet Home Mississippi

**I do not own X-Men: Evolution or an related Marvel Properties**

**A/N: This is a repost. Thank you to BladeMasterAd for the feedback. I hope the scene breaks make for an easier read.**

**A/N: Been busy with School, work, and developing a comic book with some friends. Nevertheless here is the next chapter for your reading pleasure. Reviews are still welcom.**

Chapter 15: Sweet Home Mississippi

The next morning Rogue nervously called the mansion to set up a remote therapy session. She had not exactly told Logan beyond a note that she, Kitty, and Piotr went with Remy down to New Orleans. Legally she did not need anyone's permission now that she was nearly graduated, and eighteen years old. Even so, Logan's parental instincts made him persistent, and she was living in someone else's house. Luckily, it was Xavier who answered the phone.

"Good morning, Rogue. I trust you're all being safe on your spring break?" Xavier answered the phone, calm and composed. It was as he should be; he trained them all well to handle a lot.

"Everyone's still in one piece," Rogue answered, "Remy's in the clear as far as Ah can tell."

"Excellent news, Rogue. Do you want me to pass the news along to Logan?" he asked. Rogue's face blanched.

"Is he mad?" she asked.

Xavier let her stew for a few seconds before answering, "He's cooled down, you can thank Ororo for that. He still wants some words with you once you get back."

"Great," Rogue muttered.

"You may be eighteen, Rogue, but you still live here. You should still let people know where you're going with more than a note before you take off on any wild adventures, especially when others decide to tag along with you," Xavier's insisted, "Should we expect you back home in the next few days?"

"Yeah, Remy ain't much for hangin' around here much longer," Rogue answered. Xavier hummed in acknowledgement, "Uh, professor, Ah was wonderin' if it was possible for us to a therapy session before we head home."

"I do not think my assistance is necessary for the current level you're at," Xavier said.

"Well, that's the thing professor. Ah want to try to completely block out thoughts and memories," she explained. Xavier was silent, "You think you could monitor meh and Remy from Cerebro?"

He spoke up, "It should not be a problem. Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Yes…" Rogue thought of how much progress she had made up to this point. Her mind became more overwhelmed with the desire to feel another person's skin. Her hugs with Remy, holding his hands, seeing others being able to walk around without their skin covered; all of it had become more compounded now that this therapy was giving her another chance. Knowing Remy, he would be more than up for this challenge. However, he was at the most risk out of all of them. If there was one thing Rogue feared it was absorbing him completely. This may have been simply blocking out his thoughts, but doing it absolutely was something else entirely.

She took a deep breath and said, "Ah want this."

The hotel served a continental breakfast like most, but that was no guarantee the food would be wonderful. Remy had stayed in plenty hotels in his life and knew which ones served food best. In some cases the eggs would taste like real eggs cooked with the right seasonings while the pork products would have this strange taste like they were marinated in pure grease, and vice versa. If one was lucky the hotel would provide batter and a waffle iron so one could make them fresh. There was no more terrible to celebrate a successful heist than trying to stomach waffles that were a few hours old.

Thus was Remy's current conundrum: place his bet on fresh waffles to be his main course, or take his chances with the eggs and the pork products. He chose the waffles ultimately, his gambling instincts telling him to go with the sure thing. He made himself a stack, but before he could indulge himself in the syrup glazed, peanut butter-covered sensation, Xavier's voice whispered inside his head. Although soft, unexpected house call made Remy visibly jump.

_Good morning, Mr. Lebeau,_ Xavier said softly, _I trust you are well._

Remy looked around, uncomfortable with the idea of having a telepathic conversation in public, despite the minimal amount of civilians in the dining area, _As well as one can be, professeur, all things considered._

_Indeed. I hate to interrupt your breakfast, but I thought you should know Rogue requires your assistance,_ Xavier informed him.

_How do you know? How you even communicatin' with me?_ Remy asked.

_Cerebro is amplifying my powers, allowing me to focus in on you across great distances, _Xavier explained,_ I will check in on you two in a bit. Trying to focus this much on one mutant is hard enough as it is._

Remy let out a sigh, staring back down at his waffles that were going to have to wait. He grabbed some of the plastic wrap near the buffet and wrapped his plate up for later. On the bright side he could not help but feel relieved that Xavier's long distance telepathic calls were not usual business. The last thing Remy needed was voice inside his head that was not his own. At the same time, he was intrigued by the call as it pertained to Rogue.

He reached Rogue's door and gave it a light series of taps and was let in almost immediately. Inside her, Kitty, and Piotr were waiting. Rogue was sitting across from another chair wearing just a tank top and jeans, gloves off. Piotr and Kitty sat anxiously on one bed. So it was another session she wanted, Remy assumed.

"Bon matin, Chéri," Remy said. His smile was more relaxed like it had been before the business with the guild came up. It warmed Rogue's heart.

"Mornin' Rems," Rogue reciprocated his smile. He took the seat across from her and waited for her to make the next move.

_Are you comfortable Remy? _Xavier asked. Remy twitched to the side with as soon as his voice sounded off in his head.

_Uh, oui professeur,_ Remy answered.

_I assume you know what we're doing here,_ Xavier said.

_Oui, but what about de others? _Remy asked indicating Kitty and Piotr mentally.

_They're there as a safety precaution. We're going to try and take Rogue's mental control to the next level. She wants to attempt to block out all your thoughts,_ Xavier answered. Remy looked back to Rogue and could see she was nervous about trying this. He went to grab her hand instinctively, but immediately he held himself back as he remembered they were ungloved,_ I will be monitoring you two as closely as I possibly can. You can begin as soon as you are ready._

Both their eyes closed and the world fell away. Not even the restless gazes of Kitty or Piotr could be felt.

Rogue began her breathing exercises, spurring Remy to follow suit. Deep breaths harmonized with each other as they calmed their minds and focused solely on their breaths. They both used the same breathing technique: counting up to ten, inhale one, exhale two, inhale three, exhale four, and start over once they reach ten. If they counted over, they would go back to one at the next inhale and continue. Rogue found it to be useful outside of their therapy sessions. Particularly when trying to calm her nerves from a danger room session.

Xavier kept a as close a watch on their minds as he could from where he was, meticulously tracking the growing tranquility of their minds. Every time he did this he marveled at how at peace Rogue's mind could be if she tried. Having motivation certainly helped. It was nice to see in a girl who had gone through so much in such a short time. He could feel a little anxiety coming from her at the present, but that was expected given this was the next step to see if this therapy was truly working.

_We are ready when you are Rogue,_ Xavier whispered inside her mind.

_Tu peux ce faire (you can do this), Rogue,_ Remy thought to her, _Je le sais. __Tu es le plus courageuse de les femmes que je connais. _

Rogue took another deep breath and concentrated as she now did by reflex. While she did not understand all that Remy said, she knew they were his soft cooing reassurances.

_To block out his thoughts, keep your mind calm. _

Rogue, eyes still shut, nervously began to reach across to touch Remy's hands. They were shaking. She recoiled and took a few more deep breaths. This was just like any other time they did this, only she was blocking out more. That sentiment did little to calm her, but she kept breathing deep until the nerves in her hands eased into a limp stillness. She gave them one more clinch, and was ready to reach for what she wanted.

She took one final deep breath and felt for Remy's hands. They met halfway, palm to palm and that rushing feeling hit them both. Rogue tried to keep breathing deeply as she felt his life force and his powers flowing freely out of him. Two seconds, and she heard no thoughts, three seconds… four. Remy's breath faltered as he slowly began to lose consciousness and his ability to push thoughts into Rogue slackened. As far as he could tell, he was well aware of it, his mind was articulating to him how all this felt, like his mind was being shaken apart. Yet so far nothing was disappearing; no memories or thoughts were slipping away. His mind felt as normal as it could in this state of being pulled out of his own body.

It seemed like success, but then Remy felt something. Rogue felt it too.

All of a sudden Remy felt all his mental faculties slipping away. What little he had told him to break the hell away from Rogue, but his strength had been sapped quickly. He was locked into Rogue. This was bad.

Seven seconds.

She immediately knew something was wrong. What had felt like success had all of a sudden disappeared. It was as if the flood gates had opened up, and all of Remy's thoughts and memories began to flood backward. There was more than that. Something on her end, a memory, had caused her mental barrier to fracture. She saw a river, a pier with a building, an orange neon sign with the name "Dan's", multicolored lights strung around the edge of the pier and the building. Not Christmas lights, simply ambience. It was familiar.

Before she could see anymore, she felt a pair of petite hands rest on her arms and Remy's hands simply disappear as if they had become like steam. Her eyes shot open and Kitty had phased them both to break her physical contact with Remy. Piotr had rushed over to Remy and laid him down tenderly, checking his vitals.

Rogue was somewhere between shock and lightheaded as her mind tried to sort out the assault wealth of memories and thoughts she just absorbed. There were voices, too many to count.

_Rogue…are you okay? Rogue?_ Xavier called out mentally

"Rogue?" Kitty asked snapping her fingers in front of her face. She finally registered, back in the now and the real world.

_Ah'm fine, _Rogue thought to Xavier, _What about-_

She looked down where Remy was laid and immediately rushed to his side. "Remy? Talk to meh."

Piotr pressed an ear to Remy's heart and listened carefully, hushing Rogue tersely so he could do so. He heard the regular pattern of a heart beat, though slightly accelerated from the whole ordeal. His breathing, though faint, it was not too strained. "He's alright."

Rogue bitterly pulled her gloves on and stroked Remy's disheveled hair out of his face. This had not happened for a long time. They had held onto each other longer before and he had simply been exhausted, not completely wiped out and unconscious. But he was okay.

_Thank God for that, at least,_ Rogue thought to herself. Piotr placed Remy on one of the beds while Rogue discussed what happened with Xavier. Rogue went through each detail from start to finish. Unfortunately, Xavier had no answers as to what had caused that flare. The familiar images of a pier could not be ignored. Something about them kept drawing her in,

"Perhaps you could ask Mr. Lebeau once he gains consciousness again. They were likely a memory," Xavier theorized, "However, I did detect something strange during the session."

"What?"

"It is hard to say. For lack of a better term, it seemed like a mental block of some sort," Xavier said dimly, "I find it troubling that we've never encountered this before. Then again this is new territory for you."

"A mental block? Can't ya remove it?" Rogue asked frantically. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"I'm afraid not. This was different, as if it were a barrier put up for your own safety. I honestly am not certain Rogue," Xavier answered. She sighed heavily.

"Could it have to do with those images Ah saw near the end?" Rogue asked.

"I cannot say either way, Rogue. Perhaps we can look into this more thoroughly once you all return."

She was silent. There was a reason those images were so familiar. They had to have come form her mind. Buy why? Rogue decided not to push the issue further until they returned, as suggested. Xavier wished everyone a safe journey home and hung up his phone.

She tried to decipher the images, but kept on getting assaulted with images from Remy's mind. Some of the thoughts and memories were ones she had seen before; old jobs, family, the first time they met. Some of it was new; Rogue had half a mind to slug Remy in the shoulder for one image in particular that was an obvious fantasy of his: what she thought was originally a mental image of the Black Cat, turned out to be her in that cat burglar outfit. With Remy it was hard to decide whether one should feel flattered or dirty. Rogue swallowed hard at that. On the bright side, it was ammunition for later if she needed it. But why the hell was Remy fantasizing about her wearing that? It had to have been a quick fantasy; he did not feel that way about her, did he?

_One thing at a tahme, Rogue_, she thought to herself.

An hour passed and Remy began to stir. His eyes flittered open and he looked around the hotel room. Rogue was right by his side.

"Hey," she said with a morose smile. She was glad he was awake, not so much the therapy session had gone wrong.

"Ugh… Dis Heaven?" Remy asked in his trademark scoundrel way.

_Yep, he's alright,_ Rogue thought to herself.

"You okay?" he asked her.

"Ah should be askin' you that," Rogue responded somberly.

"I ain't worried about me, Chéri," he said. He propped himself up on one elbow, "You were de one who had to deal with mon cerebra (brain/mind) in yours."

She considered asking him about the pier, but she knew deep inside that those images had come from her. The familiarity was just too excessive to ignore, "Ah'm fahne. Trust meh."

"Dat I can do," Remy said smugly.

The group of mutant teens did not waste time getting out of New Orleans. As appealing as staying in the town was for Spring Break, the calling of home could not be ignored. Remy had no arguments at that. Despite the hurricanes, New Orleans would still be there whenever he returned. Everyone was packed up in an hour and, after paying for their rooms, they were on the long road back to New York. Piotr took the first shift of driving, and like their trip down, would switch off by the state. All to the sound of southern rock n' roll.

Once they crossed the state border between Louisiana and Mississippi, Rogue took over. She needed something to concentrate on besides the mystery surrounding the images, even if it was the long road home through her home state. She was not sure if she should mention it to anyone; for all she knew it could have been a fluke. However, her own memories flashing during one of her absorptions had never happened before, fueling her belief there was some hidden meaning there.

She peeked back into the back seat and saw Piotr and Kitty sleeping. She was slumped against his shoulder lazily, both absolutely oblivious to the world around them. They looked serene. While Rogue was never one for sappy romance, she knew Kitty was happy in her little world then.

As her eyes went back to the road that familiar feeling came back as she read one of the exit signs. Caldecott, Mississippi. The images flashed before her eyes again: the pier, the neon sign, the ambient lights hanging on the building and the railing…the pier where her powers first manifested.

Rogue immediately pulled the car into the exit lane, crossing lines where she should not to get on. The force of the maneuver yanked everyone to their left, waking Kitty and Piotr up.

"Mon Dieu! Rogue, what're ya-" Remy yelped as he dropped his cards all over the floorboard.

"Ah need to make a pit stop," Rogue stammered.

"Everything alright, Rogue?" Kitty asked from behind her.

"Ah'm fahne, Ah just need to see something," she said. Everyone else exchanged looks. There was a fire in Rogue's eyes as if she had just seen a ghost. Naturally, everyone was concerned for her.

Remy rested a hand on Rogue's shoulder carefully, "Come on, Chéri. Talk to me."

Rogue's body felt tense to the touch. They came to a stop light and she gave him a bewildered look, uncertain what to tell him. She knew little to nothing, just that she was being pulled back home by her own intrigue. She sighed and told everyone about the images she saw during the therapy session, and how she saw them just as they neared the Caldecott exit.

Kitty spoke up first, "If you need to check it out, then it's like totally cool with us. Right?"

Piotr looked at her confused, having not formed an opinion on the matter yet. Although he hopped to it with a slight elbow to his arm, compliments of Kitty. "Uh, da, I am in no rush to get back to the mansion."

Remy nodded in agreement, "We're right dere with you."

Finding Dan's Bar and Grill on the pier was not difficult. It was one of the more frequented locations in Caldecott. Being a small town made that advantageous for the dwindling "mom and pop" America. Rogue parked right outside of the bar, her knuckles tensed against the firm leather of the steering wheel as is she was waiting for something to happen.

"This is where Ah first used mah powers," Rogue mused. The memories had brought her there, but what now? She reminisced about that night, "There was a party. Ah practically begged Irene to let me go. Must've known mah powers would, you know, switch on."

"You don' think dere was any way she could've stopped dat, right?" Remy asked.

Rogue shook here head, "It's kahnd of funny. Ah begged to go, but when Ah got there Ah just kept to mahself. Ah found a nahce place lookin' out on the river and then that's when he showed up."

Rogue remembered him perfectly: brown eyes, short, cropped blond hair, letterman's jacket, a football player, awkward around women, nervous dancer, but a gentleman. Remy saw a smile flicker across her lips for few seconds.

"Cody was the first person Ah ever absorbed. Ah heard he recovered, but from that point Ah was afraid to touch anyone. Ah still am," Rogue explained. Was that it? She came all this way to simply remember Cody? No, there had to be more. She put the SUV into gear and turned back onto the road.

"Where we headed now?" Remy asked.

"Ah just want to see if Ah can fahnd out what happened to Cody," she answered. On cue, she got a feeling in her body, something inside her was guiding her along streets she remembered vaguely. It was a route that felt familiar, but not to her. It was another memory, this time it was guiding her by a feeling in her gut. She a few rights and lefts later, she found herself in a small suburb not far from Dan's.

Kitty took a look around and recognized the neighborhood, "Hey, this is where we met you!"

"More lahke were ya attacked meh," Rogue corrected.

"Yeah, right," Kitty replied nervously. Piotr raised an eyebrow at them both. Kitty gestured to him to not ask. It was not the greatest moment for the X-Men.

Instinct told Rogue to stop, and right there it was: Cody's house. She knew why she was there now. She needed to see with her own eyes that he indeed recovered. This was not like anyone else she absorbed. He was the first, and she had _seen _everyone else she absorbed recover.

Rogue took a deep breath and committed, "Ah'll be right back."

Remy laid a hand on her shoulder. Again he felt her tense at his unexpected touch, "Y' sure you don' want someone to come with?"

"Ah'm sure, Rems," Rogue turned back to him and gave him a smile. It was true and morose; it told him she needed to do this alone, something he understood more than she realized.

Rogue could feel the anticipation pulling her closer toward Cody's house. Her stride was purposeful, as if her body was telling her she was going the right way. She reached the door and gave it a few light knocks. Unfortunately she hadn't thought through what she was going to tell Cody once she saw him.

_Damn it. It's always something, _Rogue grumbled silently. How was she supposed to explain coming here? That she's a mutant who could have killed him simply by touching him? That she was here over a year after the fact just to see if he was okay?

All her worries and the meanderings of her mind came to a complete halt as soon as that front door opened. Cody stood there eyes wide, still nervous around girls apparently. At the very least he remembered her.

"You…" Cody muttered, "Ah remember you."

Rogue was still dumbstruck. Seeing him for herself rooted her to the wooden porch deck. She saw the images flash before her eyes again, this time more of a true memory. She the whole incident between them replayed within seconds. She remembered gaining that fear of touch for the first time.

"Hey," Rogue said. It was all she could muster in that moment.

"Rogue, right?" Cody asked. She nodded, "Ah didn't think Ah'd see you again. They said you ran away."

"Ah sorta did," Rogue tugged at her gloves nervously, uncertain of what to do now, "Um, you think we can talk? Inside?"

"Sure. Come on in," Cody led her inside to the living room. He offered her something to drink, but she kindly refused, "They treatin' you okay up north? Humans, Ah mean."

Rogue looked at him, shocked. She quickly remembered that when mutants were revealed it made international news. Cody must have seen the broadcast footage at some point.

"It could be better, but they ain't lockin' us up yet," Rogue answered, "Um… Ah have to ask, what do you remember about the night you… collapsed."

"To be honest, Ah couldn't remember much about that night until few months ago when Ah saw you on the news. All of a sudden Ah just remembered how it all happened. It was lahke wakin' up from that coma again," Cody answered. Rogue winced, feeling her gut clench from the details, "But it's alright. Knowin's much better than not. Ah don't dwell on it. Ah got a scholarship to the college of my choosin', Ah'm graduatin' this year. At this age, we got too much to live for to worry about the past."

Rogue met his eyes, in disagreement. "Ah don't have that luxury, Cody. Mah powers, ever since that night, Ah can't jus' forget and go through lahfe like normal."

"Your powers are natural, right? That school you go to helps ya control them? That night Ah was just the unlucky guy to get dozed first. Ah ain' no worse for wear," Cody argued back. There was truth in his words: despite their incident, Cody had a bright future ahead of him, "At some point, the past don't matter much. You gotta let it go."

Rogue sighed, but she understood. She had been optimistic about the future of her powers, but the fear had always been present when she used her powers. Doubt, uncertainty, fear, while reduced in times due to the therapy, was still there. From each of those was hesitation. Logan had always told her second guesses and hesitation was what caused injuries during training simulations. Learning control was no different. She needed to commit fully.

Rogue smiled and looked back at Cody, "Well, Ah'm glad to see you're doing great. And thanks for the talk."

"No problem," Cody smiled smugly, "Ah hope you get control some day. After that maybe we… Ah don't know…"

He fiddled around for what to say next, but that awkwardness had not disappeared. Rogue visibly blushed. He was asking her out, in essence. She smiled again, "Ah appreciate the thought Cody. We'll, uh, see."

They said their goodbyes and Rogue returned to the car. To everyone else, whatever she needed to see, she had seen. As they made their way out of Caldecott Remy asked, "So, what was all dat about?"

"Needed to let go of the past so Ah can focus on the future, Remy. Nothin' more, nothin' less," she answered, still smiling, "Think you'll be up for tryin' again when we get a chance?"

"Do ya even need to ask, Cher?" Remy answered.

**Next chapter: Will the next level of therapy work? Also an update on what Stryker has been up to, remember him?**

**Sorry this chapter took so long to come out. School, work, and developing a graphic novel kept me from doing much writing. But it's summer, I can focus on this more. I'll do what I can. Reviews are still welcome. Sorry if nothing much happened, but got to have these kinds of chapters in a Romy story.**


	16. Here and Now

**I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any Marvel-related properties**

**A/N: The universe seems determined to not let me update short of 30 days. My last computer got fried so I was unable to work on this for weeks. So thank you again for your patience.**

Chapter 16: Here and Now

_Sonoran Desert, Arizona, United States_

Senator Voigt was resting uneasily in his retreat. His eyes may have been closed, but his mind refused to let his body sleep. Much weighed upon his mind, shackling him to the world of the living. He could not bring himself to feel at ease in his own bed since the break-in that had happened. Officially, the only item that was stolen was an antique revolver, but Voigt knew otherwise. He checked his computer the night of the break-in and sure enough someone had accessed sensitive files on his computer when he was on the other side of the country. Stryker had not asked him about it giving him the impression things were still under wraps.

Voigt felt a warm presence shift next to him; his mistress for when he needed a getaway. She was a local girl, college intern with no illusions about their arrangement. Sex for this, that, and whatever her services were worth. It was Voigt's one release these days, but slowly the sex had lost its usual succor and it was not due to his being middle-aged.

Voigt had noticed this loss since getting involved with Stryker and whatever game he was playing. Stryker was not one to let him in on much, but the money was good. Clear the red tape here, get a nice bonus. Kill this motion in Congress, one nice contribution to the reelection campaign. It was a profitable arrangement but a devil's deal.

He had been waiting for that blackmail call to come for a long time now yet it still had not come. He was not deluding himself; someone accessed his private computer and information was uploaded from it. Deciding whether it was worse for Stryker to find out about a leak or getting blackmailed continued to gnaw at him as he laid there in the moonlit bedroom.

Thump!

A light tumble echoed through the corridors of his desert villa. His mistress did not stir, fast asleep. All for the best, Voigt believed. The less of a disturbance there was the better. There was no harm in checking with security to make sure everything was copacetic. Voigt's feet lazily slid across the floor as he made his way down to the security station on the villa's grounds. He came to a sudden halt when he discovered one of his security guards unconscious on the main foyer.

"Oh, sh-"

Something metal and blunt pressed against his back; the unmistakable shape of a gun with a suppressor, "Don't be alarmed, sir. Stryker wants to meet. Discreetly."

"Son, if you want to keep your job, you take that fire arm out of my back now," Voigt said stiffly. The pressure on his back faded and he turned to see a small commando unit lurking in the shadows. Stryker's Special Forces; the white cross patterns on their shoulders were a dead give-away. There was something strange about these particular soldiers though. Only two out of five were wearing night-vision goggles, which would have been necessary to move effectively at night inside his villa. Those not wearing NVGs, their eyes were glowing. It was not a biological anomaly from what Voigt could see; it was as if their eyes had machines floating in and around them, "Stryker couldn't have picked a more civil hour to talk with me?"

"Not at liberty to say…sir," one of them said, clearly the commanding officer present, "If we could, sir, we're on a time table."

Voigt was led out of his villa through the back, still in his silk pajamas. The commandos were not screwing around when they said they were on a time constraint. He was shoved into the back of a military humvee and a black bag was slipped over his head.

"What the hell? I'm a United States Senator, soldier!" Voigt barked in protest, "I. Have. Rights."

The CO simply grunted and said mockingly, "Heard it all before. Let's move!"

Voigt had no idea where he was by the time the trip ended. After a bumpy drive through the desert, he was pulled from the humvee and allowed to see. His sight returned quickly and what he saw was nothing short of conspicuous. A massive craft resembling a small aircraft carrier was sitting in the middle of the desert. In and around it there were multiple men scrambling. Fuel trucks were stationed around its base. Before Voigt could ask any questions about what he was seeing he was briskly escorted toward the behemoth. As he got closer to the bass of the craft he spotted Stryker. Immediately Voigt pushed passed his escort and marched right up to him.

"William, if this is your idea of an incognito meeting then-"

"Shut up, Senator," Stryker ordered, "I would have preferred this meeting not happen all. But I have had to move up our schedule."

"Our Schedule? I don't even know what you're planning beyond some strike against the mutants," Voigt's pining for information was rebuked, "What happened to this strike being discreet? Where the hell did you get a helicarrier?"

"The mutant plague my people were trying to develop failed, but it did open a new door for our mission. Our offensive has taken a new form necessitating this helicarrier," Stryker explained, "I needed to warn you in person, just so you understand the gravity of what I'm about to say. Purge all files regarding our liaison, and any information you had on our project."

"You said this would be necessary only for when field testing was going to begin," Voigt said, "Are we that close?"

"Yes, we are close. But I still need you to keep our tracks covered from D.C.," Stryker motioned to his soldiers, "Tell me Senator, what do you know about nanotechnology?"

"Not much, why?"

Stryker led Voigt into the helicarrier. Once inside Voigt saw exactly what this carrier was being used for."

"Sentinels?" Voigt asked, looking over the production bay inside the helicarrier, "This is far from discreet."

"The sentinels are merely backup; they're being shipped all over the country, but a small detachment will stay with the carrier," Stryker explained, "How about I introduce you to Bolivar Trask."

"Trask is here?" Voigt asked. This was all a lot to absorb.

"Patience, Senator."

The next area Voigt saw had rows upon rows of operating tables and robotic servo-harnesses, working diligently on the men laid out upon them.

"Dear God, what are you doing to these men?" Voigt asked, horrified as he looked out over the dozens of men in all forms of disrepair.

"They're all volunteers, Senator. This is our nanotech and cybernetics facility," Stryker said. They weaved through the different tables, toward a stasis tube at the far end of them all. Voigt tried to avoid looking at the men being cut up and worked on. They were all at different stages of whatever Stryker was doing. Some were being turned into monstrosities beyond comprehension. Others still looked whole and were simply hooked up to a series of tubes that were feeding a grey substance into their bodies.

When they finally came to the lone stasis tube, Voigt came face to face with Trask.

"Trask, Senator Voigt," Stryker introduced the two men, "Voigt is our political benefactor. The one that got us the contracts necessary for our work."

Trask turned from the stasis tube for second to acknowledge Voigt, "Much appreciated I assure you."

His interest in Voigt was nil, while the exact opposite with the subject in the stasis tube. Voigt looked closer and saw a woman. She was of Asian descent, and her body showed signs of recent modification. The suit she wore was red and black leather; she looked like a warrior. Her hands showed the most modification though. Where there should have been nails, long metal claws jutted out.

"Status of the subject?" Stryker asked Trask, who smiled malevolently.

"Yuriko Oyama is in stable condition. Fully augmented and ready to lead the strike."

"Have her prepped for transport. I have something special for her to attend to," Stryker ordered Trask, who nodded obligingly.

_Bayville, New York_

Logan puffed on his cigar, staring Rogue down as they stood in the gazebo on the mansion's grounds. She, Remy, Kitty, and Piotr had just returned from their six day excursion down south. He just stood there staring, letting Rogue stew.

"You all came back in one piece, guess that counts for something," he said puffing his cigar, she nodded, "Gumbo's business behind him?"

She nodded again.

"Fine. I'll only give you and half-pint an extra thirty minutes per training session for the next week," Logan said. Rogue's eyes immediately shot wide open.

"Why? Because Ah forgot to leave y'all a note?" she objected.

"Wanna make it two?" Logan threatened. Rogue rolled her eyes, "Two it is then. Listen, I'm sure the professor gave you the whole X-Men and responsibility speech, so I'll spare you."

Rogue sighed, "Fahne. Ah'll deal with it."

Logan raised an eyebrow at her, "You're just going to accept it? Not even argue?"

Rogue smiled devilishly, "It was worth it."

She strode off, still wearing that grin and with a spring in her step. He had to give it to them, they pulled off a hell of a thing getting Remy clear of his past. Was he impressed? A little. Rogue striking out on her own and taking the initiative to "kidnap" Remy and basically get a team to escort him when he refused was nothing short of an accomplishment. For a girl who preferred keeping to herself for the most part, she sure knew how to stand apart from the crowd when it counted most.

That got him thinking about future prospects for Rogue's involvement in the X-Men. Of course to top off that train of thought was a hardy pair of words.

"Damn Cajun."

Back in her room, Rogue continued to unpack from the trip. Most times she would have just lived out of her bag until all the clothes were dirty. This was nerves working though; her recent encounter with Cody and seeing him doing alright had given her a level of grace she never had felt with her powers. She was eager to try blocking all Remy's thoughts out again at some point, or perhaps she was just eager to ask Remy about the fantasy he had about her.

Now that she thought about it, there had been a lot of those kinds of signals that Remy had been transmitting. A suggestive comment here, a thought she picked up during therapy there, the way he just seemed when it was just them… a lot of strange signals that she had never picked up on from any other man in her life.

_One thing at a tahme…_ Rogue thought to herself. She realized she had been telling herself that a lot over the past few weeks whenever she dwelled on her and Remy. There was always something else that demanded her attention at the time: Remy getting shot at, school, Remy dealing with his past, training with the X-Men, Remy getting called away on a mission. Remy, Remy, Remy. Her stomach beginning to flutter and the sound of his name just egged her on.

Now that there was nothing that demanded her immediate attention, she had no excuse to ignore these strange feelings.

Before she got too lost in that feeling she brought herself crashing back down to reality where she was a life force vampire by a simple touch. But as Remy said, the things worth having in life were not easy to get.

Again, with Remy.

"Damn it, girl. Get a hold of yourself," Rogue groaned to herself. This was absolute madness; she could not stop thinking about Remy Etienne Lebeau. Did this mean she liked him? Hell, did he even like her that way? Would he even want a woman like her with so many others around the mansion?

_He did reject Tabitha. And it made you feel _good…_ remember?_ She thought to herself.

"Damn Cajun," she grumbled to herself.

On the opposite side of the mansion, Remy was cleaning the tools of his trade. On reflection some of them proved to be useless in New Orleans. But better to have them and not need them than vice versa. Why he was cleaning them he did not know. He thought about pulling out his cards and playing a game with Piotr, but he was sacked out on his bed for the last few hours. There was solitaire, but he could not concentrate on much beyond the routine tasks he occupied himself with at the moment. Thoughts of a certain someone kept his mind in a strange state of intoxication.

Rogue.

Over the course of a few months, she had done more for him than most people ever had. All he could do to repay her was free her from the bonds of her powers. To say that they had become close during his stay at the institute was an understatement. But what were they? Friends definitely, but was that it? Hell, did she even go for men like him? Would she even consider him once she had control of her powers? He was a scoundrel thief on basically on probation with a streak for fast women and she was about as independent and opinionated as they came. But she brought out things in him he never knew were there. A few years ago, ask him to help someone out of the kindness of his heart and he would have laughed at the prospect. Now he had helped her with issue after issue. Why? Because they were friends? No, it was more. Things had changed so much over the last few months.

_Ah, hell, Remy… you've gone and let some fille get inside your head,_ he thought.

What their relationship was had gnawed at Remy for weeks now, but before he could figure it out there was always something pulling him away. A past life of crime does that to a man. As he sat there cleaning his portable zip line he realized for the first time in a long while he actually had a moment to think this over.

_Well…shit. I like dis girl._

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door. Kitty phased her head through partway.

"Mind if I come in?" she asked.

Remy shrugged, "Ever knock?"

Kitty's face seemed to grimace, "Oh, yeah, sorry about that. It's kind of like a habit."

She phased fully into the room and made her way over to Piotr's bed.

Remy put his zip line to the side and watched her curiously, "So, is dere somethin' I can do for ya petite?"

"I, uh… well, I was just, um, checking on Peter," she answered, an all familiar rosy hue filling her cheeks as she spoke. Remy began to grin at her, "What?"

Remy looked away naughtily, "Pourquoi, whatever are you talkin' about, petite?"

"That look. Whatever you're thinking is-" Kitty hissed at him accusingly.

"Last I checked Pete was jus' gettin' some shuteye. Nothin' to worry about to say de least. Which tells me you aren' really here to check on him," Remy deduced, grinning wider than ever, "_Qu'est-ce que est tes intentions, petite chatte (what are your intentions, little cat)_?"

Kitty's jaw hung open. She made her way to the door quickly, phasing through as if she was trying to escape. The room did feel like it was closing in on her right then. Before she was gone completely she poked her head through the door again and hissed, "You better not say anything to him!"

"Tu as mon mot (you have my word), Kitty," Remy said, half-heartedly raising his right hand as he did so. Loopholes in the form of a pair of crossed fingers behind his back meant otherwise.

Admittedly, that was entertaining and managed to distract Remy from losing himself in his thoughts. He eagerly waited for Piotr to wake up, barely able to contain himself with how much fun he could have with what he just witnessed.

When Piotr did finally wake up Remy made sure his grin was visible. Piotr saw his friend's mischievous and dastardly grin, and knew he was making no effort to hide it. Quite the opposite. He also knew the sooner he indulged him, the sooner he would get that stupid-looking grin off of his face. It was like Remy was dangling some carrot in front of his face, egging him to ask about why he was so happy.

"Alright, moi droog (my friend *Russian*). What is it?" Piotr asked, rubbing his eyes.

"How much is dat info worth to you, mon ami?" Remy asked. He sat there on his bed casually stacking a deck of cards. Piotr's hard stare was comical enough to him, "Alright. You had a visitor during your spat of beauty sleep. Interestin', non?"

"Is the enigmatic lead-on necessary?"

"Dat's de fun part," Remy chuckled to himself. Piotr did not share the same enthusiasm. Not surprising given his role in the so-called "fun". Taking pity on his friend, Remy said, "Kitty jus' dropped in to see you."

Piotr's eyes widened for a second, but he did not flinch. This was no surprise to him, seemingly, "I see."

Then something happened that intrigued Remy more. Piotr smiled, although he tried to hide it.

"I think I am going to step out for a second," he announced. Remy was immediately on his feet. He never had seen Piotr act much around any women, save what he saw in New Orleans. This was an opportunity not to be missed.

"I'll go with you, I was headed dat way anyway," Remy continued to grin slyly at Piotr.

"But you don't even know where I am going," Piotr countered. Remy was not put off in the slightest.

"Vraiment mon ami, it's pretty obvious where you're goin'."

Back on the other side of the mansion, Rogue went to the only person she felt comfortable talking to about "strange feelings". Despite being excitable about seemingly mundane emotional stories, Kitty had more experience with figuring out these "strange feelings". Rogue groaned at how all of this was making her feel. A combination of disgust and sometimes utter revulsion were common feelings. Both feelings were dashed whenever that fluttery feeling in her stomach overtook her.

She knocked on Kitty's door lightly and entered when she was allowed.

Rogue found Kitty sitting on her window sill looking out over the grounds. She seemed anxious, if her tugging at her sleeves were any indication.

"Ya alright?" Rogue asked, Kitty nodded. Her bottom lip quivered, words practically trying to seep through that little mouth of hers, "Come on, girl, spill it."

Kitty began to smile. Sunshine and butterflies could be read in her eyes as clearly as their hazel color, "You know how you asked me if I liked Pete? You know… 'like him' like him?"

"Yeah," Rogue took a seat next to her on the window sill.

"Well, I think I do," Kitty's smile coincided with the increased jitteriness in her fingers. Rogue leaned back uncertain of what to say.

"Uh, that's good Kitty, but are ya sure you wanna try things with him? It's only been a month since Lance," Rogue pointed out. Her spritely friend was not deterred in the slightest.

"I know, but I just have that…feeling, you know?" Kitty said, trying to put the euphoria she was feeling into words was impossible.

Rogue bowed her head as she was taken aback by Kitty's last words. She had these strange feelings alright but she did not know if it was the same thing that Kitty felt for Piotr that she felt for Remy.

"Actually, Kit, Ah wanted to ask ya something," Rogue muttered nervously. Kitty's ears immediately perked up, her attention dedicated to her friend, "How do you know when you lahke someone? You know, more than friends?"

Kitty blinked for a few seconds before belting out, "OhmygodyoulikeRemy!"

Rogue's eyes shot open like a bomb had gone off between her eye lids, "What? No! Ah mean, I don't… Well, he… Ah don't know. Ah asked you a question!"

"HolycrapyoulikeRemy!" Kitty said again, absolutely giddy to no end. Rogue began to blush.

"Kitty! Keep it down!" Rogue implored her, "Are you goin' to answer mah question?"

Kitty took a few deep breaths, "Okayokayokay…let's think about this."

Rogue groaned, "Oh, God, Ah should have just kept mah mouth shut."

"Come on, Rogue, you would not have brought this up if it wasn't important," Kitty said, "Just answer a few questions and we'll know."

Rogue gave her a nervous stare, "This ain't some quiz out of one of those gossip mags you have, is it?"

"Come on, I don't actually take those things seriously," Kitty shook her head, "Alright, how does Remy make you feel when you're around him?"

Rogue thought for a few seconds and said, "When he first came here Ah couldn't stand him. But since we've began the therapy, we've become closer. We talk about stuff that Ah… that we usually don't with anyone else. When we're hangin' together he makes me feel special. All the times we've 'play' flirted, Ah think Ah meant some of it, and he did too. He's been there for me a lot, and vice versa… Ah… this means Ah lahke him, doesn't it?"

"Well...," Kitty did not say for certain, but Rogue saw the writing on the wall as plain as day. Regarding Remy, all that she just explained made it pretty apparent. Rogue had to sit and let the fact that she liked Remy as more than a friend sink in. Kitty laid a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of, Rogue. He's _cute_."

That snapped her out of the shock, "What? Kitty!"

"Oh come on, now I definitely know you've checked him out every now and then," Kitty teased, giggling at the sight of Rogue's pale cheeks flushing with red, "I wouldn't be surprised if he's done the same to you."

Rogue rolled her eyes and said, "You have no idea."

"He has?" Kitty perked up even more, "Like, when?"

"Well, not exactly, but Ah picked up on some thoughts durin' our therapy," Rogue explained, "You think that means he lahkes meh _that_ way?"

Before Kitty could answer the question, three light knocks rattled the door. She sighed and answered it, finding Piotr at the door.

"Oh hey, Peter," Kitty said, tugging at the ends of her sleeves again.

Piotr scratched the back of his head nervously, "Um, hello, Katya."

A smile at the sound of her Russian name was inescapable.

"Is this a bad time?" Piotr asked, noticing Rogue at the window.

Rogue had a feeling she should leave and made her way out, "Ah'll talk to you later, Kitty."

"Um, sure," Kitty stuttered before turning her attention to the man at her door, "So, what's up?"

Rogue was out of earshot, figuring they would want privacy. As she neared her own room she found Remy leaned up against the wall outside of it.

"Bon soir, Chéri," he said.

"Hey, Rems," Rogue said, "Need somethin'?"

"Oui, I was wonderin'," Remy said, pausing, searching for the right words, "Do you…?"

Rogue's eyes lit up, "Yes?"

_Damn it, garcon, don' choke now,_ Remy thought to himself.

"I was wonderin' if you'd…," he paused again. This never happened when he dealt with women. Damn her, damn her, "If you'd wanna try the next stage of our therapy."

Rogue's heart fell a little, but unbeknownst to her, the feeling was mutual for Remy. Him saying "our therapy" did evoke that same fluttery feeling that she felt not too long ago. Why she felt that then was a mystery through and through.

"Um sure," Rogue nodded. In truth she was eager to try again since meeting Cody again. She led the way into her room and took a seat cross-legged at the end of her bed. She motioned for Remy to join her.

_Figures you'd lose your nerve right before de big moment, homme, _Remy continued to berate himself as he got ready to begin,_ Keep your mind focused on de therapy._

Remy mirrored her on her bed and they both sat there, waiting, making sure the other was ready. After the last session, it was understandable. Even so, deep down both of them knew that this time would be different. The deep breathing commenced and Rogue placed her hands in Remy's. Slowly he teased them off, not once breaking eye contact with her.

"We're goin' to do it dis time, Rogue. Keep tellin' yourself dat, comprends-tu?" Remy asked.

Rogue nodded, "Ah understand. You ready?"

"Il n'y a pas un temps que le présent (there is no time like the present)," Remy assured her. His words were true; this was just the next necessary step. They both took one last deep breath and she laid her bare hands on top of his. That involuntary release of energy Remy was beginning to get used hit him as fresh as ever. He could feel his body becoming limp, but he forced himself to stay conscious. Like before he could feel his mind being twisted and turned like a ship caught in a maelstrom. Unlike all the other times, he still had a strong sense of what was going on. He knew exactly where he was, what he was doing, his memories were intact; even the thoughts he tried to project into Rogue's mind seemed to hit a wall.

On the other side of this transaction, Rogue felt the surge of energy that Remy always had in excess. As the absorption continued, all she could feel was the energy and life force. Her mind, while under strain, was constant. Her memories were her memories, her thoughts were her thoughts, and her instincts were her instincts. Her mind was her mind and her mind only.

She had finally done it.

Rogue released Remy's hands and he fell back onto the bed. She gloved up quickly and crawled over to Remy quickly. She listened carefully for both his breathing and his heartbeat, quickly finding both. One would not have been able to tell what he just went through with how fast his heart was beating. In a few minutes he would be up. Knowing that, she took a moment to let it all sink in.

From blocking certain pieces of thoughts, to blocking types of thoughts, to blocking entire memories, emotions, it all built up to what had just transpired. She knew this was just the first step, but she could allow herself some grace for what she just accomplished.

A few more minutes passed and Remy began to stir, lazily his eyes opened. Unlike all the times that had come before, the disorienting effect now only affected his ability to move and his powers. He could remember it all up to the point he lost consciousness. Whereas in the past he could pinpoint a general time when his mind went blank, he knew exactly when it did this time.

He looked around and saw Rogue sitting next to him, looking down at him amorously, glad that he finally was waking up.

"Did it work?" he asked groggily. She said nothing, offering him only a smile. That was all he needed. He returned it; all the therapy was finally paying off. He forced himself up so he could sit level with her. His energy was still returning however; as he tried to sit up one of his arms buckled. Instinctively, Rogue caught him and helped him so he could sit with her. Neither realized how close they were; barely a breath's distance, one arm intertwined with the other's, red and green eyes piercing deep into each other.

"How does it feel, Chéri?" Remy asked.

"Free." Ironic that control could feel that way. It was a taste of things to come.

There were no words to follow, and none were necessary. Remy leaned forward slightly, and stopped suddenly. Rogue followed suit and the singularity that seemingly swallowed up all the words that could be said, brought them together in a tight embrace.

"Thank you, Remy," Rogue whispered into his ear. They continued to hold each other in triumphant bliss. Unbeknownst to the other, while this victory was joyous, neither could escape the nagging questions that still weighed on both of their minds.

_Hell, if not now then when?_ Remy asked himself.

"Rogue?"

"Yes, Rems?"

"Dere was one more thing-"

Three knocks was all it took for Remy to recede from going all the way with his question. Rogue giggled lightly and broke eye contact with him for the first time in what seemed like hours.

"Never a moment, huh Rems?" Rogue mused humorously.

"C'est vrai," Remy grumbled. Rogue answered her door to find an absolutely beaming Kitty. Whatever Piotr had asked her, she was just short of bouncing off the walls.

"Kit?"

"Peter asked me out!" Kitty squealed.

"Whoa, um… congratulations, Kit. Can we talk about this later?" Rogue whispered the last part, trying to indicate her own situation to her bubbly friend. Kitty took a quick peek inside her room and saw Remy on her bed.

"Oh right,butweshouldtalkafteryoutwo…_talk_," Kitty spoke too fast for Remy to catch, but she left promptly.

Rogue turned back to face him smiling, "Kitty's day just got better."

"I heard," Remy chuckled, wishing he had started a betting pool.

Rogue took her place on the bed again and asked, "Anyway, we said we were goin' to talk about somethin'?"

"I was goin'… wait, you wanted to talk to me about somethin' too?" Remy asked, Rogue's cheeks flushed. She had not previously revealed her hand, so to speak. Too late now.

"You go first," Rogue insisted, trying to cover up her cheeks going red. Remy continued to smile like a fool, "Stop smilin' damn it."

That only made him smile more, but there were enough delays as it was. Now or later, when she cornered him likely.

Fate was not done with them yet though. A low buzzing noise escaped Remy's pocket and his face went white. That sinking feeling hit Rogue again; the universe always had to drag things out painfully long.

Remy retrieved his cell phone after apologizing to Rogue and saw the caller ID. It was "Restricted #". That meant Fury.

Remy let it continue to ring for a bit. This time he really considered not answering it. Rogue placed a hand on his, and offered him a reassuring smile despite her own feelings at the moment, "It'll be fahne, Remy. We'll… talk when you get back."

"Certainement," Remy sighed, answering his phone, "Bonjour, Monsieur Fury."

"I've dispatched a chopper to your location, Mr. Lebeau," Fury said, "Pack so you're on standby. Something's come up requiring your expertise."

**Next Chapter: A break in, a murder, and Remy does what he does best. On this job he gets a taste of what Stryker has to offer Mutantkind. Any guesses what that is?**

**A/N: For those of you who are enjoying this X-Men: 4Evolution story, check out my other X-Men: Evolution story "Weapon X: the Genesis Project". Check it out especially if you are an X-23 fan. **


	17. Born in Spring

**I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any Marvel properties**

**A/N: I know I know I know. Sorry this chapter did not come out sooner. Damn near a year since the last time I updated this story. School, graphic novel development, work, orchestrating concerts, etc. **

**Just know that this story is not abandoned. I will finish it and updates will becoming much more frequently. Thank you all for being so patient.**

Chapter 17: Born in Spring

The spring evening was chillier than most. It was as if winter was trying to remind the world that the bitter cold would be back in due time. Remy was not a man who believed in the omens bidden by nature, but his gut told him this next job for Fury was not going to be ordinary. Even for a thief, there was such a thing as ordinary in the form of what they stole, when they took jobs, for whom, and more. Never before had Fury said he had a job that needed Remy's expertise. He merely said that he had a job.

Remy was packing the rest of his gear, trying to not let his mind get too ahead of itself, when Rogue walked in. He had heard the sound of a SHIELD Osprey a few minutes before when it landed on the front lawn. His working for them was no doubt common knowledge now for everyone at the mansion. He did not care though. His only care in the world right then was the woman standing in his doorway.

"Ah take it you know they're here?" Rogue asked him. She approached his side, taking his hand in hers, comforting him. She knew his tells well, even when he thought he had his feelings hidden.

Remy reciprocated and took her other hand in his free one, "Oui, mais je ne veux pas partir. Je suis désolé que nous ne pouvons pas parler plus avant je repartis."

"Ah know, Remy. But we'll talk when you get back," Rogue consoled him. Remy and Rogue shared a smile as their fingers interlocked, separated only by the thin fabric they both wore. They shared a smile before Remy zipped up his bag, finalizing his preparations. He was about to leave when he turned on his heel and pulled something out of his nightstand. The queen of hearts that had been graced by Rogue's lips the last time he left, marked as proof by the purple lipstick left behind.

"Don' wanna forget dis now," Remy said in his sly tone. Rogue blushed at the memory. That same feeling from when she kissed the queen of hearts welled up in her chest. Slowly it made its way up; her lips began to tense, relax, and tense in a game of tag being played with her wants and desires. Somehow she knew, like women always know, what Remy was going to ask her before all the interruptions came along. She could feel it in the way he held her hands, the way they were now holding the queen of hearts between them. There were no words. Rogue let go of the card and used her free hand to grace Remy's face. Tears were urging to be released from Rogue's eyes but the elating and intoxicating feeling that was bringing her and Remy ever closer was too much to be soiled by sorrow.

The card was tucked away comfortably in Remy's pocket. Using his free hand he brushed Rogue's hair to the side, careful to not touch her skin. Had he been wearing his jumpsuit, he would have been able to meet her forehead with his. Losing himself in her eyes for the little while they had was enough though. His free hand snaked around her back, eliciting a sharp inhale from her. They smiled mischievously before falling away together for a final embrace. She rested her head on his shoulder, tracing patterns around his back, allowing his heartbeat to be the only soundtrack to their moment. As he held her, he could feel a mutual rhythm emanating from her own.

Words were pointless. Actions were speaking louder than their words could possibly hope to despite both of them knowing that they would still no doubt want to talk about what they were becoming. It was simply who they were.

An eternity that was merely a few minutes was ended by a heavy pair of footsteps treading down the hall. Rogue and Remy fell apart slowly, but held hands nevertheless. Logan appeared in the doorway, gruff expression unwavering.

"Fury's waiting, Gumbo," he grunted. Remy nodded and made his way with Rogue to the front lawn.

To his surprise Fury was there himself to receive him. Whatever he had for him, it was big. Fury was chewing incessantly on his toothpick; something about the job was making him uneasy. Remy's stomach tensed. If the man who contracts the job is uneasy about it, a thief's typical move is to walk away. Obviously it was not an option for Remy.

Fury waved to Remy to get aboard quickly. He waved in acknowledgement. The rotors were too loud for Remy to say a proper good-bye and as a man who did not want to have any regrets he wanted Rogue to know he cared, should the worst happen. He took one last look at her. Her eyes urged him to hurry up; they said, "Hurry up, go take care of business so you can come home." He nodded to her. What he did next caught equated to the shockwave of Mjolnir when it strikes the earth. He pulled her close, making her think it was going to be a hug. He brought out the lipstick-stained card, positioned it just so he she could feel the pressure of his lips against hers.

Not unlike the first time they laid eyes upon each other, he grinned slyly as she stood there awestruck, gave her a two-finger salute and ran toward the Osprey. No regrets. Needless to say, Rogue legs began to feel weak.

Remy kissed her. He risked passing out in front of everyone to kiss her. Sure it was a peck on the lips through a card, but still.

_He lahkes me,_ was Rogue's only thought as she stood there wide-eyed and awe-struck. As the Osprey lifted off she smiled. Unlike the last time Remy had taken off, she looked forward to his return more than ever. She looked over at Logan to find him dumbfounded and seething at the same time. She smiled even more. Kurt's jaw simply hung. He just saw Remy steal a kiss from his sister and he was getting away with it. For now.

* * *

On the Osprey Remy took a seat across from Fury. He discarded a broken toothpick; this was a first for Remy, to see Fury on edge. Like on previous missions Fury handed Remy a yellow envelope containing a datapad with all the necessary intelligence for the mission. Curious as usual, Remy began to sift through the information as Fury explained the situation.

"So what is de job dis time, Fury? Theft?" Remy asked sarcastically. Fury grilled him with his one-eyed stare.

"One of our science ops was compromised by a rogue element earlier this evening," Fury began. The data pad immediately began playing the security feed from the op, "One of our science facilities was hit in the middle of an experiment."

Remy watched the security recording on his data pad. He saw a man in a test chamber of sorts preparing to inject himself with some type of serum, as Remy would have guessed. The security feed began to flicker and then a figure came slashing through a door to the test room being pursued by multiple agents firing futilely. Remy saw that it was a woman with strange modifications to her body: besides the blades that each of her fingers morphed into, she looked to be in peak human condition. Her eyes were inhuman, not due to scientific machinations, but due to how crazed and cold they were. She cut through the SHIELD agents with little struggle. The gunfire and squabble resulted in the scientists attending the experiment suffering gunshot wounds and stabbings. The test subject, a scientist himself, Remy gathered, also suffered injury but not before injecting himself. The feed automatically paused as the serum began to take effect. Remy could swear that the man was increasing in size. Without more footage to see, it was only speculation.

That was not what he was primarily paying attention to though. The woman who took down and evaded a detachment of SHIELD agents was intriguing and frightening.

"So far no one has taken responsibility for the attack, and from what we can gather she took nothing," Fury continued his briefing, "We suspect that this was a demonstration of sorts. Someone wants us to know that they have a brand new weapon to tote and that they can get to us"

"Any guesses who it might be?" Remy asked, he began to skim over the rest of the data they had compiled for him.

"Yes. You remember your first assignment?" Fury asked.

"A senator named Voigt, non?" Remy did remember. Fury was vague about who he was stealing from at the time, but it was all moot.

"The data you pulled off of his computer gave us reason to believe he has been developing ties with multiple militant groups," Fury explained, "He has been aggressively been using his influence to help further their goals. However we have reason to believe he is merely a puppet for someone else."

"How do you figure?"

"He's had multiple meetings with William Stryker, head of Purifier Initiatives. It's a PMC specializing in weapons development and private security."

"You mean mercenaries," Remy inferred, Fury nodded. Another image popped up on Remy's data pad. It was a home page for Stryker's PMC, sporting a familiar looking cross-symbol, "I've seen dat insignia before."

Fury's eye perked up, "Where was this?"

"In Madripoor, dat commando unit from out of town. They had de same sign on deir shoulder patches," Remy explained. He saw Fury let out a sigh.

"You're certain?" Fury asked

"Oui. Does dis change anythin'?"

"We've been monitoring Madripoor for awhile now. We knew someone was giving the military their specialized training," Fury began, "We just never could prove that it was Stryker's outfit."

"I ain' goin' to testify if dat's what you're hopin'," Remy said bitterly.

"Please Mr. Lebeau, you're a thief. You think a jury would even take your words into consideration?" Fury pointed out, he was right, "Besides, I had something else in mind for you."

Remy figured out the rest, "So it's mon usual chose (my usual thing). Sneak in, lift data, get out?"

Fury pulled a black hood out from his jacket, the kind that a person wears when they are being led to a classified location, "Put this on and I'll explain more."

Remy looked nauseously at the hood, "SHIELD washes dose things regularly, non?"

The other agents in the Osprey looked away guiltily, giving Remy a feeling that they did not.

"Dis necessary?" Remy asked Fury.

"It's this or the syringe that will leave you groggy when you come to," Fury ordered briskly. Remy took one last look at the black hood, winced and put it on. It smelled like blood, piss, and puke all mixed into one. Fury must have been falling behind on his readings detailing restrictions on cruel and unusual punishment.

"Dis smells like shit, you know?" Remy grunted.

"Stow it," Fury scolded, "Location I'm taking you to is classified. But you're expertise is still very much needed. You'll understand when you get there."

Remy felt the Osprey land and the hood come off. He took a deep breath of fresher air. He came close to puking a few times during the flight due to that hood. As he and Fury stepped off the Osprey he realized that he was at a SHIELD facility. It was an industrial complex in the middle of nowhere. There was old oil-drilling equipment scattered around the area, likely to sell this place's cover. His gut told him it was the one that Fury just finished telling him about. There was a heavy SHIELD presence there, using a wide array of equipment, likely to determine what happened there.

"So what was de urgency for bringin' me out here?" Remy asked, noting that the danger was long gone if his observation was accurate.

"The scene is fresh. I don't want any leads going cold. This way," Fury ordered him to follow. As they entered the building multiple agents were passing datapads to Fury for review. He was like a machine; he would peruse the contents briefly then redirect the agent with new orders as if it were just another day at the office. For him, it was. That only applied to dealing with the SHIELD agents though. There were a few civilian personnel around, scientists mainly. This confirmed Remy's suspicions of where he was. One scientist came charging up to Fury. A woman, late twenties or early thirties, brown hair, and nice figure from what Remy observed. She was fettered beyond all hell though. She must have been near the attack based on her mood and slightly disheveled appearance.

"You! You said this place would be safe for us to conduct our work!" she pressed a finger into Fury's chest.

"Doctor Ross, I need you to calm down. You knew the risks going in," Fury tried to calm her, but his people skills were lacking if Remy's time with him had taught him anything.

"You're SHIELD for Christ's sake, you should have seen this coming!" Doctor Ross shot back, "The lab is trashed, Bruce is now in critical condition… you're having agents combing the lab for hair follicles when you should be-"

"You all knew the risks as well," Fury countered.

"No, you told him what he might be able to accomplish, not what he-"

"Your agitation with the situation is understandable, but if you want to be any help you-"

"Colonel, Doctor Ross?" another SHIELD agent rushed up to them, "We've stabilized him, but the sedatives are proving to be less and less effective by the minute. If he wakes-"

"Quarantine him. I don't care what has to be done, but make sure he does not wake up," Fury ordered, "I don't care if you have to overload his system with tranqs, sedatives, whatever. Get it done, soldier."

Doctor Ross immediately protested, "You can't do that. Even if the sedatives don't kill him, you can't hold him against his will. If my father-"

"Your father and his division are here as a courtesy and failed to keep this location secure. It's what I get for outsourcing security to men like him," Fury growled, he motioned Remy to follow and they began to continue through the complex, leaving the doctor to briskly follow them. Fury called back to her, "As of this moment, General Ross and his forces are shitcanned from this project until further notice. You and your team report directly to SHIELD now."

They walked a few more paces before Remy chimed in, "A bit harsh, non?"

"That's part of the job, Mr. Lebeau," Fury grunted tossing his toothpick aside.

A few minutes later they were in the area Remy recognized from the video feed he watched earlier. There were forensic teams traipsing over every centimeter of the testing facility trying to assess what happened. Remy would have simply told them to watch the video, but held his tongue. Fury was agitated enough as it was.

Fury addressed one of the agents in the area, a woman. She must have been the lead investigator from what Remy could gather. Brunette, steel eyes, short hair and the standard-issue form fitting outfit issued to most SHIELD agents. Remy made mental note to add that outfit to the list of one's he would love to see Rogue wear. Women in uniform…

_Head out of de gutter, idiot,_ Remy shook his head as he entertained the idea.

"Tell me you figured out how that thing got inside," Fury looked around the chamber, not liking what he saw.

"Trying to, sir, but most of the external sensors went offline while as the experiment started," the investigator answered, "Without a point of origin, it may take weeks to figure it out."

Fury rubbed his temples and motioned for Remy to come over, "Agent Hill, this is Remy Lebeau. Mr. Lebeau, I trust you can be a consultant in this field with your experience?"

"Excusez-moi?" Remy asked. Quite the unexpected task, "Um, oui."

"Then consult."

Remy took a moment to shake off the dumbfoundedness from what he was just tasked with and began to work. He took a look around the chamber and first examined the sliced door. If he did not know any better he would have guessed Logan had come through there. He exited the chamber and thought on what he would have done. Air ducts were his first thought, but the attacker would have just used them to enter the test chamber. With the amount of security cameras and guards, someone would have heard anyone bigger than a five-year old crawling through the air ducts. The lead investigator also mentioned the external sensors being hit.

"What happens if your external sensors fail?" Remy asked both Agent Hill and Fury.

"We send a team to investigate. Security resources are diverted temporarily so the anomaly can be efficiently investigated," Agent Hill explained.

_Misdirection. Houdini_, Remy thought to himself. Draw attention to an area far from the target and you lighten security for a few minutes. It was truly effective if one could make the anomaly look like equipment failure from natural causes. That would divert security. But from what Remy saw on their way in there was a heavy military presence. In all honesty, with the amount of personnel and combat equipment Remy figured they were trying to keep something from leaving as opposed to letting something come in.

What he had so far: infiltrator knocks out external sensors, slips in while guards are investigating the anomaly. But how would this infiltrator get past all the different personnel, security or otherwise? Then it all fell into place.

"Is everyone accounted for?" Remy asked.

"No, we're still waiting to hear from some soldiers who were off duty at the time of the attack," Agent Hill answered, "And there is one scientist who was on duty tonight that we cannot locate. He had access to the test chamber."

"I'm willin' to bet dat one of dem won' be reportin' in," Remy said, "Point of entry doesn' really matter at dis point. She hit the external sensors to draw attention away from wherever she entered. After dat she likely killed a soldier and donned their attire in order to move more freely throughout the base. Dat missin' scientist was probably who she used to get as close as she needed to pull this off. De rest is on video."

Agent Hill pressed her earpiece to listen to an incoming report and sighed, "Colonel? He's right. Corporal Murphy and Doctor Rice were just discovered; both dead."

Fury and Remy left the investigators to their work not much later and returned to the Osprey. It seemed the job was just getting started for Remy.

"What was de point of dat?" Remy asked, curious as to the prompt arrival and departure.

"I needed your expertise to determine the skill of the infiltrator. That in turn tells me who on a short list might be able to afford such a person," Fury answered, "Purifier Initiatives is the only one on that list that could hope to breach one of SHIELD's facilities successfully."

"And dis means?"

"It means, Mr. Lebeau, your life of crime is going to pay off for SHIELD and those we protect," Fury answered. He pulled out another toothpick and began to chew on it, "You're going back to Bayville but consider yourself on standby. I'll have a car at JFK ready to take you to and from the airport at a moment's notice. I'm going to be looking into this lead a little more, but I want you ready to move in the event that we need to move against Stryker quickly."

Agent Hill appeared behind Fury again, "Sir, we have Black Widow. Shall we patch her through?"

"Put it through to my earpiece," Fury ordered. He turned back to Remy, "Don't you have a ride to catch?"

Remy did not waste another moment and made his way back to the Osprey he came in on. Being sent back to Bayville left Remy hopeful, looking forward to talking to Rogue about their… many questions regarding their evolving friendship.

Remy's relief was mixed with pinch of aggravation. More uncertainty surrounded his arrangement with Fury. He could not even put a shelf life on this current job. This longing to be around Rogue and done with Fury began to speak to Remy a dangerous suggestion he never had seriously considered: settling down into a more stable life to be around the girl he liked, to see if anything could come of it. He, or at least a small part of him, was considering turning away from so many parts of his life just to see if there was anything to be had with the woman, who's very being had taken hold of his mind and body.

That sentiment alone scared Remy.

_Elsewhere_

"So that's how Fury has been hitting our operations," William Stryker mused to himself as he watched footage of Remy leaving the SHIELD installation. Proxies and deniable assets were a tool of the trade in espionage. Disposable and effective when one needed them to be. He was in his command center aboard his PMC's helicarrier, "Gather all the intelligence you can on that man and get Deathstrike on the horn. I want her and an asset dispatched to intercept that man."

A few of his soldiers acknowledged and a few moments later a holoscreen with Deathstrike's face appeared.

"Congratulations on a successful first mission, Lady Deathstrike," Stryker thanked his operative. She acknowledged him with a callous grin and a nod, "I am transmitting information on your next objective. See to it the target does not make it back to his residence."

"It will be done, Colonel," Deathstrike answered sadistically before signing off the transmission.

* * *

After a day of travel that included routing Remy through a few different locations and planes (for security purposes no doubt), Remy was back at JFK international airport by nightfall. As expected, there was a black sedan waiting for him, apparently arranged by Fury if the two SHIELD jumpsuit-clad individuals were any indication. He debated whether or not to drop Rogue a quick text before getting back to the institute, but he decided against it. The thief in him liked the idea of surprising her.

The agents were both a man and woman. The man was nondescript and wore sunglasses, despite it being dark out. The woman ducked into the driver's seat before Remy got a look at her face. Perhaps it was nerves, or maybe it was a strange form of jetlag, but the trunk of the car appeared to be weighted down severely. He paid it no bother though. SHIELD could have had each vehicle outfitted with ordinance. If that was the case, then would they not have their cars set up to handle that weight and still be able to appear normal? These were government vehicles after all and the last thing they needed was to draw attention no matter what.

_Or perhaps ya jus' overthinkin' dis,_ Remy thought to himself.

"Pop de trunk?" Remy asked, holding his bag up, indicating his intentions.

"You can keep it with you in the back," the agent grumbled. An odd answer; surely there should have been room. Remy did not raise a fuss though.

He piled into the car and got comfortable for the drive back to the institute. A feeling however began to well up inside his stomach. It was not a good feeling he felt before a good heist, nor a butterfly feeling he got whenever the job he was on was particularly risky yet fun. It was one of those bad feelings criminals got when they knew something was off; a devil in the details. He wondered why he was having that feeling right then and there. Remy let his eyes adjust to the dark inside of the car and began to survey his surroundings to at least try and lay his worries to rest. As he began to take in more details though, he could not help but feel that something was wrong. Smell was the first thing he could pick up on. One did not need Wolverine's sense of smell to detect freshly used detergent; an odd smell considering the car had leather interior. He looked at the male agent's left ear, where most agents had an earpiece. He did not have one. Remy could see the agent's side arm on his leg too. The holster was unclipped. Having fought assassins many times in his life, Remy knew they liked to keep their holsters undone when they needed to quick-draw. This begged the question: why would a pick-up and drop-off assignment require an agent to need to quick draw his or her gun? The male agent did not seem fidgety in the slightest, nor paranoid. Remy was only more nervous now. It did not help that the route the car was taking was not typical for getting to the institute. He then turned his eyes to the female agent.

All Remy had to do was look in the rearview mirror. She was of Asian descent. He focused on her eyes. Those eyes… crazed and cold. He knew those eyes, he had seen them recently. Then he realized many things at once. Firstly, the woman and man who picked him up were not SHIELD agents. Second, he was in danger. Third, the woman was the same one who had trashed that SHIELD facility. It was Lady Deathstrike.

The good news was they were only traveling at about 25 miles per hour. Remy found his car door was locked when he tried to open it. He made too much noise attempting to unlock it though as he felt the barrel of a gun now pressed to his temple.

"Hands up," the male agent ordered him.

They either wanted to kill him or capture him. Either way, Remy was not about to let that happen. In close quarters, like a car, fights were determined by who had leverage. Having outstretched limbs holding a pistol may keep the timid in place, but someone like Remy would use that as an advantage. Remy smacked the pistol away from his head. The agent fired off one shot, perforating Remy's window. Remy grabbed a hold of the agent's wrist and forced him to fire the remaining bullets out of the car then charging it in the agent's hand. He threw it up front with his captors, smashed open his window, opened the car from the outside and tumbled out car, tucking and rolling.

Remy's body pounded the pavement several times before coming to a complete stop, but bruises were the least of his concerns.

POP!

The gun that Remy charged up went off, causing the Deathstrike to lose control and flip the car. Cautiously, Remy approached the wreckage, staff extended and cards at his finger tips.

« _Que-est que c'est_ (what is this)? » Remy asked himself. There was some rustling in the metal heap and a loud bump. One of the agents was trying to smash their way out of the car. The bulk of the hit was focused on the driver's side. After a few more thuds, the sound of metal scraping against metal changed the wreck's tone. Remy stopped in his steps as five sharp metal protrusions pierced the driver's side door. Five more identical objects soon emerged. In tandem, they shredded the door allowing the Deathstrike to emerge from the car. Her jumpsuit was torn in several places and she was bleeding profusely in others. The claws extruding from her nails indicated technological modification. Her wounds were strange in their nature; where there should have only been flesh and bone, there were metal instruments. Cybernetics. That all soon was the least of Remy's worries. Her wounds had begun to knit themselves back together.

"You don't disappoint, Frenchman," Deathstrike sneered.

"_C'est correct plus à parlez-vous je suis Cajun (it is more correct to tell you I'm Cajun)_," Remy said facetiously.

"You won't be speaking French long once I cut your tongue out," Deathstrike hissed, smiling crazily.

She lurched for Remy with a speed he had only seen matched by Logan. He charged and through the cards he had in his fingers quickly, but she either dodged or shrugged them off. He charged his staff and smashed the ground, transferring the energy into the ground, and knocking Deathstrike of kilter. Her attack missed as a result. She was unrelenting though. She was getting within an arms reach and Remy's staff was only useful beyond such close quarters.

Deathstrike slashed at him once more from the side, this time slapping Remy's staff from his hands. With a swift follow up, she jabbed with her other hand, this time catching the side of Remy's abdomen. Remy gasped at the sharp pain of his flesh splitting. It was a shallow wound, but would likely need stitches. He needed to be more careful. Enough of those kinds of cuts, and he would be dead due to immobility or eventually bleeding out. He kept dodging and parrying her attacks as best he could. This would only last for so long though. Eventually he would tire. Any damage he could do, her apparent healing factor would negate. He needed distance until he could figure out how to put her down. Deathstrike did not let up. The more she slashed, the more she howled. That hazy, almost glazed, look in her eyes told Remy she was getting some sick thrill out of this exchange.

She was too close for his card to be of any use. She lunged forward again, this time only catching the inside of his trench coat. Remy pivoted around the strike and delivered a sole elbow blow to the back of her skull. It ended up hurting him more than her. Her skull felt stiffer than any skull he had knocked before, denser. She must have had metal grafted to more than just her claws.

Deathstrike's rebuttal was swift. She whipped around, claiming more flesh from Remy's torso as she slashed. The cuts, like before, were not deep but enough to make it painful for Remy to move as quick as he usually did.

_Distance,_ Remy's mantra in that moment.

There was one dangerous gamble he had yet to try. The main risk was doing more damage to himself than Deathstrike however. While Remy was no stranger to improvisation, this was the first time in a long time he was ever cutting his luck close. There was no other option than to take another risk, save becoming a cutting board's distant relative.

"Mon Tante Mattie always said to treat women with respect, never raise a hand against 'em, dat sort of thing," Remy mused as he continued to pivot and dodge his assailant, "_Mais, je pense c'est situation une exception_."

In a feat of desperation, Remy charged the glove on his right hand and waited for an opening. Deathstrike slashed with her right, then her left, and then lunged. Right, left, lunge. Right, left, downward slash. Right, left, lunge. Remy dodged left, then right, and when Deathstrike inevitably lunged, he parried her arm with his left, and plowed his right fist into her chest. With as much concentration as he could muster, he directed the charge in his glove toward her. It was successful, if the ten feet she was launched was any indication. The attack tore his glove to shreds and his hand felt like it had plowed through a melting ice block into a pot of hot water. Nevertheless, he did not let himself squander this opportunity. Deathstrike was already getting to her feet and getting ready to come at him in a furious craze. She was a chaotic force he needed to channel; a force that would very well kill him unless it could be directed.

Remy surveyed his surroundings in the blink of an eye and continued to improvise.

"Come and get me!" Remy taunted as he began running backward. Deathstrike obliged full heartedly.

"Gladly!" Deathstrike howled as she raced toward Remy.

_That's it, mademoiselle, _Remy continued to run backward as Deathstrike closed the gap. She wanted to close the distance as fast as possible, and Remy was hoping she would do just that with the utmost zeal. When she was close enough, she launched herself into Remy. Getting kicked in the stomach was something Remy was familiar with, but getting kicked in the abdomen with someone who wore pointed-toe boots was a sensation very close to getting stabbed. Add the cuts on his abdomen and the only way to make that experience more painful would be for her to rub her boot in the shallow wounds. The pain was a small price to pay for what Remy needed to happen.

The kick itself propelled Remy into the car wreck from which Deathstrike had arisen from. She charged him again, this time claws prepared to stab, if Remy had read her tells correctly. He pulled himself to his feet and waited. As soon as she was in an arm's length of him he jumped and pulled himself on top of the wreck, her claws stabbed into the car. She used her other hand to try and impale him, but he rolled out of the way. Both of her hands were tangled up in the metal wreck. He grabbed her head and smashed it once against the side of the car, needing to buy a few more seconds. The trauma to her head opened up a gash on her forehead. But as it was with her other wounds, this one was beginning to knit up in seconds.

"Don't know what you want with me, but dis ain't gonna continue any longer," Remy groaned. He placed his hands on the wreck and charged it with as much energy as he could before bounding away, leaving Deathstrike with the results. The blast rocked Remy's eardrums. The thunderous noise and concussive force knocked Remy away from the blast site. As he gathered his wits, he turned his focus to the wreck. Much to his surprise, Deathstrike rose again.

"_Merde_," Remy cursed under his breath. He was truly out of ideas. Deathstrike, albeit hobbling and in disrepair, continued to endure whatever Remy threw at her. While his cuts were not deep, they were beginning to take effect. His hearing began to fade in and out, his sight grew fuzzy, and his body began to feel light. He drew another card from his deck, falling back on the routine tricks he still had. He looked curiously at the card; it was the queen of hearts, the one blessed by Rogue's kiss. Maybe she would come through for him again.

Remy was about to charge the card and use it when a loud crack shattered the lull in his bout with Deathstrike. Gunshot, from a sniper rifle cracked in the air right as Deathstrike was returned to the ground. This time, she did not get up. Remy dropped to his knee and began to locate the source.

Behind him, along the road he saw a series of black sedans with red and blue lights flashing racing toward the scene. Popping out through the sunroof of one of them was the shooter. Remy could tell from a distance it was a woman, milky skin, and blood red hair.

The cars came to a screeching halt around the scene and agents in full body armor and armament spilled on to the roadway. Deathstrike stirred on the ground, a pool of blood collecting as her body knitted itself back together again. A few of the agents secured her and, curiously, a few of them were collecting blood from her body and the scene of the battle. Knowing that this was SHIELD, Fury no doubt wanted to check everything when his agency was involved with anything. No doubt it would be hard to sample her blood when she was one hundred percent again.

"I had it under control, Black Widow," Remy said nonchalantly, breathing heavily.

Black Widow rushed over to Remy barking orders to her agents "Get me a medic!"

She helped Remy to his feet and slung one of his arms over her shoulders eliciting a wince out of him, "Are you alright?"

Remy answered only by indicating his torn up torso removing his arm from her shoulder, "My legs are fine"

"You need to let me help you to the ambulance. You'll no doubt be coming down from your combat high in a few minutes," Black Widow argued.

"We'll be dere in a few seconds," Remy assured her.

Black Widow threw her arms up in resignation while muttering some cuss under her breath in Russian.

* * *

Remy sat as still as he could as the EMT stitched and bandaged up his torso. As Black Widow predicted, his body began to come down from the adrenaline-infused state he was in during that fight. His physical condition was the least of his worries at the moment. Knowing Rogue, he was likely going to be in for a verbal lashing from her. He expected she would berate him for kissing her like he did and nearly getting potentially killed. Not that he did not already know she was concerned for him.

"Feeling better?" a gravelly voice asked him, Remy leaned upward to face the man who spoke, accidently causing the medic to jab the needle into one of his ribs. He winced painfully.

"You make a habit of sneaking up on people, Fury?" Remy asked.

"Part of the job," Fury answered, "You're looking well."

"_Tres bien._ What do- ouch- you want?" Remy asked, wincing again as the medic finished up his last stitch.

"To debrief you. I figured it would be better you hear it from me," Fury answered, pulling out a toothpick for himself chew on, and a cigarette for Remy, who declined.

"Hear what from you?" Remy pressed for answer, wanting to get passed all the ancillary dialogue.

"That I expected an attack on you and used you to draw out the assailant, and by extension her puppet master," Fury explained.

"You what?" Remy hissed at Fury, "What if dey had decided to attack me while at de mansion? What if it happened around innocent people?"

"Neither of those happened," Fury shook off Remy's venomous prodding, "Besides, this is what you were signed up for. It was a calculated risk that has paid off dearly, for both SHIELD and yourself."

Remy had to catch his breath for a second. A little detail in Fury's answer stuck out, " 'Were'?"

"I have no doubt that Stryker is involved in this somehow. I needed you to draw out one of his fiercest agents who could implicate him by either action or confession," Fury explained, "However, this attack on you also proves that you've been compromised. Likely when you visited that SHIELD facility she attacked earlier. As such, I consider your service to SHIELD, under their current conditions, concluded."

For a few seconds, the world stopped for Remy. He was done, out, finished. He was free.

"You're serious?" Remy asked, he had to be sure. Fury handed him a folder he was holding under in the crook of his arm.

"What you are holding is the last copy of your criminal record. Everything, yours to do with what you want," Fury explained further, "You can decide what to do with it on our way back to Xavier's mansion."

Fury tried to have the medics help Remy to a car, but he declined again. It was still setting in for him. He was out. He was free to pursue his life again, with a clean record. He could easily return to his old life, picking up where he left it, in some subway in Los Angeles. Yet, despite all the stress and trouble it caused him, SHIELD allowed him to get a glimpse into a new life in Bayville. His most recent experience with this new life called to him to stay. For the first time in a long time, he had a place that he had begun to call home. It was not the mansion, nor the town, but a person. The one person he cared about coming back to after every mission for SHIELD: Rogue. She was more than worth sticking around for. Now, more than ever, Remy wanted to see where this life could take him. As Fury and he drove back toward the mansion, he could smell the spring air and taste the life of a world emerging from winter's chill.

* * *

**A/N: So let me know what you think. This story is not over yet. If you think Fury and SHIELD are out of Remy's life, you are mistaken. See how Fury phrased it.**

**Next Chapter: Fury reveals to the X-Men the threat that mutantkind faces. Rogue and Remy have the big talk regarding their relationship and hold an impromptu therapy session with the professor. Any guesses as to why?**


End file.
